The Past Remains
by darkwriterff
Summary: Sonny's life is great; he has reconnected with his family, he owns a thriving coffee shop and has an exciting, blossoming relationship with Will. He's finally happy until his past catches up with him and threatens to destroy it all. Can Will accept even the darkest of Sonny's secrets? Can Sonny open up enough. This is a collaboration between myself, darkwriterff and rescuemama2007
1. Chapter 1

Hi guys, this is a collaboration between me, darkwriterff and a friend rescuemama2007. We hope you guys like it.

Also, we don't own the Days Characters, there are some other characters we made up. No copyright infringement intended.

^%*& #^% &*)#)( *#)(_ )(#+ _#+_ $)(*$%*()#^%_*#(*$

_**"What can I get for you this morning?**_" Sonny greeted his next customer cheerfully despite the fact that he had a line out the door. His new venture, Common Grounds, a community coffee-house and gathering spot, was so far appearing to be quite successful. He was going to have to hire more help if business stayed that good. Not a bad problem to have.

Sami Brady stepped up to the counter, _**"I'll take a soy latte with an extra shot, please. What would you like Will?**_" She shifted her focus to the blonde, blue-eyed teenager behind of her.

**_"What, Mom?"_** Will brought his attention back to her and then quickly moved it to the very attractive barista behind the bar. **_ "Uhh, hi, sorry. I'll take a large cup of dark roast, no room."_** Will smiled widely and held Sonny's gaze for a brief moment.

_**"Sure, coming right up,"**_ Sonny said as he turned to prepare their drinks. He couldn't help but glance over his shoulder a couple of times to get another look at the guy at the counter. _"He certainly isn't a boy",_ Sonny thought, correcting his early assumption. The two looked to be about the same age. New to Salem and apparently the only gay man in the entire town, Sonny really just wanted a friend and wondered if this Will person might just be gay, too. With the drinks finished, Sonny grabbed a lid for both and set them in front of Sami and Will. **_"Okay, that will be $7.23, please,"_** he knew off the top of his head what the total would be but ran it through the cash register anyway.

_**"Here you go,**_" Sami said and handed him a $10 dollar bill, **_"keep the change. It's Sonny, right? Adrienne and Justin Kiriakis' youngest son?"_**

**_"Yep, that would be me,"_** Sonny replied now that he and his family were back on good terms.

_**"This is my son, Will. Will, this is Sonny. If I remember, you and Will are about the same age...19-20?"**_ Will put out his hand to shake Sonny's. He used his apron to clean up a little before taking a hold of Will's hand.

**"Nice to meet you, Sonny,"** Will said flashing him another smile. **_"Welcome back to Salem. Are you taking classes at all at the U?"_**

**_"Eventually,"_** Sonny responded with a nod. **_ "As soon as the business gets established, and I've got the right amount of staff hired, I do plan on finishing my degree here. So, if you know of anyone looking for a part-time job, send them my way. I've got a couple more positions to fill."_** Sonny finally released Will's hand, which was unusually soft and smiled. **_"Great to meet you, too, Will. Hope to see you around._**"

Just as Sonny finished with the pair, the two newest staff members he had hired arrived for their shifts. Sonny let them get settled behind the bar and stepped out to clear a few tables. As Sami and Will headed out the door, he heard Will make a comment about how this would be a great spot for a first date. Exactly what Sonny thought, too. He'd be here almost every day...Will could come back in for a date any time he wanted. **_ "I'd certainly take a break for him"_**, Sonny mused to himself and watched Will walk out the door.

Walking back towards the bar, Sonny noticed that Carol and Travis had a good system going and were getting through the line of customers efficiently. Carol would take the order, write names on cups, and hand them back to Travis. He would make the drinks and then she would ring them up at the register. **_"Americano, coming right up, and your name please?"_** Carol asked the woman next in line.

**_"Janice,"_** the woman replied. Sonny looked at her immediately, as if she might just be **"_his_"** Janice. It was doubtful, since the last time Sonny had seen her, she was still in London and refused to come to the states with him. But it didn't stop him from looking every single time he heard that name. It was a long time ago, but the memories were still fresh.

Five years ago, while living in Paris with his family, Sonny realized that he was gay and he desperately wanted to come out to his parents. As most young teens would in this situation, he was having a hard time finding the words. One evening, when he was about 16, he sat down at dinner and just let it out. He told them that he was gay, he didn't want to be set up with their friend's daughters, their business partner's nieces anymore. He knew they would be shocked. He even knew they would probably be angry. But he never expected to be disowned. With only a few harsh words to him, they tossed him out into the street. He was 16 years old, in a foreign country and homeless, no friends, no family, not a single person to help him in t his desperate time. He picked up what few belongings his parents let him pack in his backpack and walked into the night to find a place to stay.

Wandering the streets of Paris, he ran into a street-walker named Janice. She was a beautiful 18-year-old woman who had long red hair and skin like ivory. Sonny was captivated by her presence. As he spent the first evening following her around, he could clearly see that she was a professional. She could talk her way into or out of any situation, and Sonny wanted to learn everything he could from this wonderful person. Feeling a mutual kinship, she took Sonny in, and together they began selling their services for money. Sonny was a male escort in England, a stripper in France, a lounge singer in Belgium, a street-walker in Ireland. It didn't matter where they went, he enjoyed his time, and lived off of the amazing income. Together the two toured the world and made themselves a nice living. With no one else to worry about but themselves, money wasn't an issue. They had an apartment together in England, where they ended up settling back and they began an escort business. Sonny, being the son of a lawyer, knew the ins and outs of the legalities of a business, so he took care of the contracts. Janice, easily managed the clientele and grew their business so that they were barely able to keep up.

On Sonny's 17th birthday, Janice took him to a gay bar, where he learned how to table dance. He learned how to move his hips, and grind himself into the table to make him the center of the whole bar's attention. Sonny had grown out of his awkward, teenager looks, and now was tall, dark, and built. Living on the streets tended to age a person faster than normal. It was undeniable that Sonny was gorgeous, and the owner of the bar offered him a part-time job dancing, which Sonny gladly accepted. He found that he loved the techno music the best, dubstep second. They had great beats, and he could really use that to move his body to. Soon Sonny was doing what the other guys did, waxing, oiling his entire body and that seemed to make him even more popular with customers.

For the next few years, Sonny spent his time between dancing and walking the streets with Janice, who had become his adopted sister. Where one was, the other was not far behind. On his nineteenth birthday, he was getting ready to go to work at the bar when he got a call from Janice. She was at the hospital. She had been negotiating with some clients when she felt light-headed and passed out. One of them had the decency to take her to the emergency room. She was fine, but the Dr suggested she have someone accompany her home since she sustained a pretty good head wound. Since they owned their own business, Sonny was able to rush to Janice, without any damage to their income. He didn't know what he'd do without her. He'd be completely lost. She had become his world.

On the cab ride home, Janice told him that she had done something behind his back and hoped he wouldn't be mad. Sonny wasn't totally surprised at this. Janice was really the true businesswoman behind their enterprise, and she often made deals without him. She told him it had nothing to do with the business, at least not directly. That's when she confessed that she had done some research and had contacted his parents. They were no longer staying in Paris and had moved back to the states to Salem, where his father's family lived. **_"They are coming to get you, Sonny,"_** Janice had said to him staring him directly in the eyes. He remembered replying angrily**_, "No, I won't go with them._**" He had been determined to stay with Janice. It didn't matter what they had to offer, this was his life now and he wasn't leaving her.

All of his protesting, yelling, screaming, crying, fighting did nothing to sway Janice. As her final plea, she told him something he wouldn't forget for the rest of his life. **_ "Sonny, I'm sick,"_** she said to him with tears in her eyes. **_"I don't think I'm going to be around much longer. And the one thing I ask of you before I die, is to please leave this life. You have a good family that wants to rebuild their relationship with you. Please, Sonny, clean up your life while you can. For me it's too late. Don't make the same mistakes I did."_** The next day Sonny was on a plane with his parents, leaving the only life he knew, the friend he adored, and starting over in the tiny, mid-western town of Salem, USA.

Those days with Janice seemed like so long ago. He wondered where she was, if she ever thought of him, if she was still around. Shaking his head to bring his thoughts back to the present, he realized that the tables were all bussed and the last customer had just left the shop. Putting Janice out of his mind, he joined Carol and Travis behind the bar to get ready for the lunch rush.


	2. Chapter 2

**_"Yeah, that sounds fine, T, I'll meet her brother. Are you happy now?"_** Will can't believe he's finally letting T set him up on a blind date with his girlfriend's brother. He shifted the phone from one shoulder to the other and scrolled through his email while he talked.

**_"Great, Will! I think you'll like him. Can you be at the new coffee shop at 8:30 tonight?"_** T was moving on this fast.

**_"I suppose,"_** Will replied looking at his watch. He had an hour to clean himself up enough to meet this guy. _**"8:30. At Common Grounds."**_

**_"Fantastic, dude! He'll see you there!"_** Will could tell T was pretty proud of himself. When Will first came out, T hadn't taken the news so well, but over time T really came around. Who would have ever imagined Will would be going on a date with someone - some man - T recommended. If T could change, anything was possible. So, going on this date was the least Will could do.

**_"Um, T?"_**

**_"What Will?"_**

**_"What is this guy's name? It would be helpful to know that."_**

**_"Oh. Sorry. I kinda' forgot. It's David. His name is David. He's tall, got the same color hair as you. Glasses. Majoring in computers or something like that."_**

**_"Thanks, T."_**

At exactly 8:45 pm, Will and David sat across from each other at a table in the back of Common Grounds, sipping their black coffees, and talking about absolutely nothing. They had already run out of things to say 15 minutes into their date. Will thought David was sort of cute but definitely not his type. Will liked dark hair on a guy, olive skin, and a to-die-for smile accompanied by a sweet, sexy laugh. He was attracted to outgoing, social, engaging. And while David seemed nice enough, he was blonde, studious and pretty shy. David reminded him far too much of himself.

**_"Who's reading Kite Runner?"_** all of a sudden Sonny was next to their table, scooping empty cups and saucers onto a tray.

**_"Um, me,"_** Will responded, grateful for the interruption. **_ "I'm reading it for a World Lit class I'm taking. Why? Have you read it?"_** Will glanced at David, who was chewing nervously on a finger.

**_"I did, and I loved it! It's a great book. How far into it are you?"_** Sonny stopped cleaning to come stand next to Will. He picked up the book looking for a marked page.

**_"Well, I haven't actually started it yet. Which is a problem because I have a report due on it next Thursday."_** Will bit his lip thinking he would really like to ask Sonny for his help. But Will knew it would be inappropriate to do so with his date sitting there. Although David didn't seem to care that Will was talking to another guy, the last thing Will wanted was for David to go back to T and tell him he flirted with someone else all night.

**_"Here, give me your phone."_** Sonny reached for Will's cell once he dug it out of his front pocket. Tapping digits and letters in expertly, Sonny finished and handed the phone back to Will. **_"If you have questions, you know about the book, just text me. I'd be happy to help you out. It's a great book but it was hard to get into at first. It's worth it though, I promise."_** Sonny smiled, displaying perfectly straight and sparkling teeth outlined by smooth, full lips. Now this guy was Will's type.

**_"Great, Sonny, thanks so much."_** Will flashed what he hoped was an equally dazzling smile. **_"Gosh, I'm really grateful for the help."_**

**_"Will,"_** David finally spoke again, forcing Will and Sonny to break eye contact and remember there was someone else at the table. **_ "I-I have a big test tomorrow, so I should get back to studying."_**

**_"Okay, David. Well it was nice to meet you."_** Will stood and wondered if he should hug him or just shake his hand.

**_"You too, Will. Sonny."_** And with a slight nod of his head, David was out the door. At least that took care of Will's hug-handshake dilemma.

**"Will, I hope I didn't break up your date?"** Sonny looked at him apologetically once David was gone.

**_"No, no, you didn't. I haven't been on too many dates, but I have to say that was the most awkward, unexciting one I've ever been on. So, I'm glad you jumped in. Or I might still be sitting here with him in another hour, sipping coffee in complete silence."_** Will chuckled and shook his head. Well, at least he could tell T that they tried. The night wasn't a total bust though because Will got to see Sonny one more time that day. And Sonny was equally as happy to have been the one to save Will from his boring blind date. Giving Sonny a simple wave, Will grabbed his book and left.

**********

Sonny wiped down one of the last dirty tables. It was closing time, and he wanted to get as much done as he could before he headed home. His conversation earlier with Will had him more motivated than ever to start taking classes again, and he wanted to check out the U's schedule online. He put the towel down and looked around at his coffee shop. Not too long ago, this would have been nothing more than a dream to him. He never would have thought that he would be almost 21 years old and have his own dignified business. Sure, he and Janice had their own business together and they made a great living, but it wasn't exactly a job he could put on his resumé.

Sonny thought back again to the last couple of days he spent with Janice before flying thousands of miles away from her. When she told him that she had contacted his parents, he was angry. When she told him that she was sick, he was angrier with her because she was making him leave her in her time of need. She was his sister, his best friend, his savior, and now she was making him go when he should be there for her, when she should want and need him the most. Sonny had tried to find her after he got settled in Salem, but she was nowhere to be found. She had liquidated their account, sent him half the money and disappeared. He shook his head, and came back to the present, trying to focus on the rest of his closing duties.

He cleaned one empty and one half-empty cup from the table where Will had sat earlier with his date. Thinking back to their conversation, he settled his hands on his hips for a minute and smiled. He was lucky, he was happy, and he was developing a crush on Will. Sonny hoped Will would contact him for help with his paper. Or he wouldn't mind if Will just contacted him to hang out sometime. Either was fine by Sonny. He just hoped he'd see Will again soon.

He picked up the towel, laid it in the sink and turned the lights off. As he went to lock the door, he turned around and looked at his shop. Yes, he had a life in Europe and there were times he missed it and Janice terribly, but thinking about what he had now, he was sure that this is what his life was meant to be.

Sonny walked up to his apartment and immediately heard the phone ringing. He was one of the few people he knew who still had a land line. He kept if for business purposes, plus he was too frugal to pay for an expensive voicemail plan when had a perfectly good, perfectly functional answering machine already. As he was trying to pull the keys out of the lock, his message kicked in followed by the obligatory 'beep'. He laid his keys down on the table and headed for the kitchen to grab the phone. Sonny stopped in his tracks once he recognized the voice leaving the message. Could it really be her?

**_"Sonny? Son, hi it's Janny. I am in the states and wanted to see you. When you get this message, I'm staying at the Salem Inn. I'm in room 204. The number here is um... hold on let me look at the pad on the desk... it's um... 555-903-0983. Jet lag is killing me, so I'm sure I'll be up for a bit longer. I know, I'm rambling, I just need to see you, to hear your voice. Anyway, just... call me."_**And she hung up the phone. Not able to move, he waited until her message finished before letting out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. Was that why he kept thinking of her lately? He had to admit he was relieved to hear her voice to know that she was still alive. He would never forgive himself for leaving her when she was ill. She had multiple stitches from her fall, and she still made him leave.

**:::Flashback:::**

**_"Janny, you can't expect me to go." Sonny said as he turned to look at her. "You're sick, you need me. Come with me. If you want me to go back to my family, come with me._**"

Janice looked at the tall teen, who no longer had the mind and heart of a boy his age. He was wise now beyond his years, and Janice was so proud of him. She struggled to look at him because she knew that they both had tears in their eyes. **_"Son, you know that I love you, but you belong with your family. I belong here. This is my life, not yours. Please, promise you will go and be happy."_**

Sonny, walked over to her and hugged her. He whispered in her ear sorrowfully, **_"But why?"_** Just then, there was a knock at their front door. Janice broke the hug, wiped the tears from Sonny's eyes and her own and replied,**_ "because I love you and I know that they love you and want you back in their lives. You deserve the chance to be successful in your life. Go to school, get a guy, have your life. I won't be around much longer Son, and to tell you the truth, I don't want you to see me die. I'm selfish, I want you to remember me like this."_**

She walked to the door and opened it. Adrienne and Justin walked in, and his mom immediately rushed to Sonny, grabbed him and hugged him tightly to her. She had such mixed emotions; she had beaten herself up since they kicked Sonny out those years ago when he first told them he was gay. But despite their best efforts, Sonny had become invisible, living on the streets, with no address, and finding him proved to be impossible. Adrienne stared at her son who had grown up so much. He was gorgeous, just like his father, but he looked weathered and worn. She could never get back those lost years, and it had taken its toll on all of them. She sobbed on Sonny's shoulders and begged for his forgiveness. Not yet ready to respond, Sonny broke the hug and kissed her cheek. He then walked over to Janice, hugged her, kissed her shoulder, and went to pack his bags.

**_"If you decide you want me, come to the states. Please Janny. Call me."_** He had said, hugging her one last time. Sonny walked out the door with his parents and didn't look back. He had no clue what life would be like for him back in Salem. He was going to a place he wasn't sure would accept him. He was leaving the only person who loved him unconditionally to go back to a place that he had never considered home. He was so afraid of the unknown. And for the first time in his life, he was truly scared.

**:::Present:::**

Sonny had driven on autopilot to the Salem Inn. How he got to his car and to room 204 he didn't know. Now standing in front of the door, his hand ready to knock, he didn't know what to expect. How would she look after the years? Was she still sick or had she gotten better? How do you say hi to a person who was your life for so long but sent you away as soon as things got tough? He put his hand down and turned to go, but something was pulling him to back. He turned around and faced the door. He fixed his jacket, took a deep breath and looked down at his feet. He raised his hand and knocked softly twice. Sonny took another deep breath and waited for the door to open.


	3. Chapter 3

Sonny fumbled some more with the bottom of his jacket as he waited in the hotel's hallway just outside of room 204. Seconds after his knock, he heard the chain unlock, the knob turn, and as if in slow motion, the door finally opened. Into view came the person who meant most to him in this world, his stunningly beautiful best friend, Janice McLean. She was as sultry as Sonny had remembered; her hair was shorter but still the fiery red from his dreams. She had some color in her cheeks but her skin was still pale and very Irish.

**_"Sonny,"_** she whispered and took a small tentative step towards him. She stopped herself right before she reached him as a small amount of guilt crossed her mind, and Sonny could read it in her eyes. **_"I have missed you so much,"_** her voice broke as she held back her tears. Sonny slowly opened his arms, took that one last step forward and pulled his friend into a desperate embrace. Sonny allowed his tears to fall freely as his arms wrapped around her; his hand slid up to her hair and he breathed in the scent that was Janice. She always smelled like she had just walked out of a flower garden in full bloom. To Sonny that smell was comforting, it was home, and it transported him back to the flat they shared for several years on State Street. He allowed himself another deep breath, and holding her tightly, he let sobs overtake him.

**_"Janny, why didn't you ever call me before now?"_** Sonny said a bit angrily as he broke from their hug. He used the sleeve of his shirt to dry his tears as Janice extended her arm into her hotel room. She gave him a small, sad smile. **_"Please come in, Sonny. We have a lot to talk about."_**

Sonny walked into the room and took off his jacket. He turned to look at Janice one more time, as if to reassure himself that she hadn't left again...that this wasn't all a dream. He blinked twice, coming out of his trance and sat down on the couch. Janice sat directly beside him, grabbed onto both of his hands, and began her long story.

**_"Do you remember the night that I fell? The night of your nineteenth birthday?_**" she started right at the beginning of the end.

**_"All the time. Gads Janny, I replay that awful night in my mind every single day. It continues to haunt me and it's been 2 years."_** Janice lifted a small finger to Sonny's lips to quiet him. It was then that he realized how small she had really become, how fragile her tiny body looked, how her full mane of crimson hair was now thinning and flat. He had been so blinded by the thrill of seeing Janice again that he completely missed noticing how much her body had already started to crumble under the pressure of illness.

**_"I never told you, but that was the night I found out I was dying. In fact the Dr told me I'd be lucky if I made it a year. I just thought I was tired. But he told me that I had an aggressive form of Lymphoma. He wanted to start treatment right away, until he did some blood work, and then I found out about..." _**Janice trailed off and looked away from Sonny. She took a slow ragged breath and brought her eyes back to his. **_ "It was also the night that I found out about Jax...Jackson Eoin McLean."_**

Just then Sonny's phone sounded in his pocket, signifying a text message. He held up a finger, silently asking Janice for a moment, while he read the message that had just arrived: _'I know we just talked about it 2nite but could really use your help with my Kite Runner paper. R U free 2morrow? Will'_ A couple of hours ago, Sonny would have been more than excited to get this text invite from Will. Now, looking up at Janice, thinking about the years they spent apart and of all the catching up they had to do, he didn't know if he could - or should - even think about getting to know this guy. He had this sneaking suspicion that Janny's arrival was more than just a friendly visit while on holiday. He had a feeling that something significant had happened to her and that she had come to share that with him. But Sonny had offered to help Will. So, he would just see him once, help him with his assignment and then be done. _'2morrow may not work but the day after does. Text u later with times. C U soon. Sonny'_

Janice raised her eyebrows at him in an open question. **_ "Do you need to go, Son? Because I understand, I did just spring this on you from out of the blue."_**

**_"No, no, Janice, I don't have to go anywhere right now. Plus, I would never leave my best friend when she's finally just shown up in my life again!" _** Sonny smiled and let his mind wander for a quick moment to Will. He just met this guy. So why was he having such a hard time forgetting his cute, lopsided smile and the way his blonde hair kept falling down over his eyes? Pulling his thoughts back to the present, he recalled the last thing Janice had said right before he got Will's text. **_"Okay, where were we...Jax?"_** Sonny refocused and met her eyes, not hiding the puzzled look on his face. She got to her feet quickly and walked to the mini refrigerator in the corner of the hotel room's kitchenette.

**_"Would you like a bottle of water?"_** she offered one to him and took one out for herself. She was stalling, he knew that much. Sonny walked to her, took her pro-offered bottle of water, put a reassuring arm around her shoulders and led her back to the couch.

They sat and Sonny coaxed her on gently. **_"Why don't you tell me about Jax. How come I am just hearing about him now? Is he your brother? Do you need help with him? I mean I know I haven't been back that long, but I have some connections..."_**Her chuckle made him stop mid-sentence.

**_"No, Sonny, he's not my brother, but I do need your help with him."_** Janice stood once again and motioned for Sonny to do the same. He followed her as she walked to the door that adjoined the 2 rooms of her suite. She quietly opened it and went inside, motioning for Sonny to come in with her. Taking a couple of very careful steps, Sonny took in the room in front of him and could see that it was set up for a small child. There was a playpen in the middle of the floor, a swing next to a variety of toys and a high chair. He looked at her completely stunned and confused. She put her finger to her lips making sure he stayed quiet. Stepping all the way into the room, Janice closed the door behind them. She rested her back against the wall, closed her eyes and took another deep breath.

**_"Sonny, Jax is my son. When I found out that I was terminal...I also found out that I was 2 months pregnant. I was so shocked, I didn't know what to do. I didn't want you to see me sick, and I certainly didn't want you to have to hang around and take care of my problems."_**She opened her eyes once again and took a few steps further into the room. **_"You were just 19 Sonny, you were still a child." _** There was a tremendous amount of sadness in her voice as she continued, **_"I couldn't leave you with a life of shame and a baby on top of that. So I decided, for the first time in my life, to think about someone else for a change. Between you and the baby I was carrying, I could only think like a mother would think; and that was to send you home to yours and pick up the pieces of my life so I could be there for my child."_** A small tear slid down her cheek as she turned her back to Sonny. **_ "I'm so sorry. I never wanted to keep secrets from you, but I knew that if I told you everything, you would have never left."_** she whispered.

**_"Jan,"_** Sonny walked around in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders, remaining at arm's-length. **_ "I would have helped you. Jeez, you've been doing this all yourself? That was 2 years ago Janice, how have you been able to take care of a baby and your health all on your own? I mean, how are you still..."_** Sonny didn't know how to finish the question.

She smiled through her tears. **_"By sheer will, on my part, sheer will to live, I guess."_**

**_"Or stubbornness. You always did enjoy proving people wrong."_**

She laughed softly and shrugged her shoulders. **_ "I don't know what exactly it is, and the doctors can't understand it either. But even though I've outlived their predictions, I'm getting weaker every day Sonny, I can feel it. I used to be able to carry Jax for hours and now I can barely even pick him up. I'm really all alone in this. And that's why I came here. That's why I need your help."_**

Sonny blinked, her intentions not yet clicking in his brain. **_"You know I would do anything for you, Janny, you just need to ask,"_** and he pulled her in for another hug.

**_"I know, that's what worries me,"_** she said ruefully as she broke their embrace and went to sit on the edge of the bed. Her small hand shook as she smoothed the hair off of the sleeping child's face. Sonny was still several feet away from them but could easily see how beautiful this little boy was. He had soft curls framing his face and plump, round cheeks that were flushed from sleep. Janice looked at Sonny, at her sweet, sleeping baby boy, and back to Sonny again. That's when it hit him. Like a ton of bricks. **_ "Oh God, Janice,"_**his eyes went the size of saucers, and he backed up until he hit the room's door. **_ "You came here now, with Jax, because you don't think you have much time left,"_**Sonny swallowed hard, **_"and you want me to raise your baby."_**


	4. Chapter 4

There was never any doubt in Will's mind that he wanted to have children of his own some day. He absolutely loved spending time with his younger siblings and cousins, and they adored him right back. Whenever the Horton's or Brady's got together for a family event, the children always fought over who got to sit by him. When there was a designated kids table, Will would be the chosen _"big kid_" to commandeer the restless posse of youngsters. His Mom trusted him implicitly with his younger brother, Johnny and sisters, Allie and Sydney, and when given the chance between doing anything else or hanging out with big brother Will, they always chose Will. It was just so easy to be with them. Kids were innocent, not yet jaded by relationships or responsibilities or reality. Sometimes Will wished he could go back to those days when the most difficult decision he had to make was whether he wanted chocolate or vanilla ice cream for dessert. When he was with Johnny, Sydney and Allie, he could live vicariously through them and always tried his hardest to give them the uncomplicated, happy childhood he never had.

Being gay and wanting to be a Dad did alter Will's original plan a bit. Having kids wouldn't be an easy product of marriage, like many straight couples. Deciding to have biological children with his partner (eventually husband) would involve a surrogate, medical procedures and money. Even adopting came with its own complications and expenses. But Will new with certainty that his life wouldn't feel complete without having a family and at least one child. It was a long way off, Will realized, however, he felt like it was never too early to establish what you want. Will hadn't always felt this way considering the tug-of-war his parents played with him growing up.

Today Will had Johnny for the afternoon. Allie, Sydney and Sami were out for a girls day of pampering and shopping. So, Will asked Johnny if he'd be up for a guy's day, playing catch, basketball and ordering pizza. Unfortunately, the weather had put a pretty severe damper on their plans outdoors, so Will and Johnny had made a stop at the game shop in Horton Town Square to pick up a few new video games. Leaving the store, Johnny spotted a friend of his from daycare.

**_"Will, that's Henry! He's my friend from school!"_** Johnny shouted excitedly and without thinking, took off down the path after him.

**_"Wait, Johnny...you know what Mom & Dad have told you about taking off! Please wait for me..."_** and Will started sprinting after his younger brother, who was weaving in and out of the crowd, desperately trying to catch up to Henry. Will watched Johnny round a corner and disappear. Following him, Will found himself at Common Grounds, where Johnny had finally stopped to greet his friend.

**_"Will!"_** Johnny ran to his brother and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards Henry and his mother. _** "This is my friend from school. Henry, this is my big brother, Will!"**_

**_"And I'm Madeline, Henry's Mom,"_**the woman said, holding out her hand.

He looked at her and smiled, **_"Nice to meet you Madeline. I'm Will,"_** and they shook hands.

"Mom," Henry stepped in,**_ "Johnny and I are going to go play a game, okay?"_** And the two of them were off.

**_"Well, my husband is already here and has my coffee waiting for me, so it was nice to meet you, Will."_**

Standing alone, Will decided to make his way to the front and order himself something to drink. He checked on Johnny, who, with Henry, was gleefully setting up and knocking down building blocks with matchbox cars. Turning towards the front counter, he spotted Sonny. Meeting his eyes, Will gave him a shy smile and a little wave. He hadn't planned on coming back to the coffee-house so soon. He was just here last night for his blind date with David, and though it was a bonus to see Sonny again, he didn't want to seem needy or over-anxious. Sonny had already promised to help him with his World Lit assignment, and they had plans to meet tomorrow evening.

As Will stepped up to place his order, he heard a high-pitched screech followed by a taunting giggle. He turned the direction of the outburst and was plowed into by one very small, very excited toddler, trying to engage someone in a game of chase.

**_"Woah, little buddy,"_** Will said firmly as the child hit Will's knees. Catching the toddler just as he fell, Will set him back upright and was checking for bumps or bruises when he heard a voice above him.

**_"I see you've met Jax."_** Sonny was suddenly on the other side of the child, the apparent tauntee of Jax's little game. Sonny smiled and met Will's eyes. Picking him up a bit awkwardly, Sonny said,**_ "c'mon Jax, let's get you back to your Mom."_** Looking back over his shoulder, he added to Will,**_ "stop over at our table after you get your drink, if you have time."_** And he was off, his final destination a table in the corner by the bar, where a beautiful, but clearly very thin, woman was sitting, welcoming Jax back with open arms.

**_"Mama..."_**the boy babbled as soon as he saw her and wiggled free from Sonny's grip. He walked a bit unsteadily back to her and tumbled into her embrace. She sat him on her lap and started to play with his strawberry blonde curls as he reached up to yank on hers. Sonny sat back down across from the woman and attempted to distract Jax from his hair-pulling with a toy tractor.

Will tore his eyes away from the scene and got in line to place his order. _ 'I wonder who she is?'_ he wondered to himself. _ 'Maybe a sister, cousin, or ex?' _He could tell the two were close just by looking at them. The way Sonny leaned in when he talked to her, the way she touched his arm as she spoke...those things told Will the two were quite comfortable together.

**_"What can I get for you?"_** the guy behind the bar asked Will. He had been so lost in thought that he didn't realize he was next in line.

**_"Umm, I'll take a large coffee to go, black, please."_** He left a couple of dollars and some change on the counter and headed over to Sonny's table. Granted, he did hardly know the guy...they had just met. But something was pulling Will towards him; perhaps it was just his curiosity wanting to know who the red-head was sharing Sonny's table.

**_"Hey, Will, I'm glad you came over,"_** Sonny smiled at him again and Will quickly remembered one of the reasons he wanted to stop by. That million watt smile of Sonny's was so gorgeous, and Will wanted to see it again, along with those sexy brown eyes. _** "Will, this is my best friend, Janice. Janice, my friend Will. And this is her son, Jax, who you already met - sort of."**_

_**"Hi,"**_ Will gave Janice a friendly wave and Jax a pat on his head. **_ "I don't want to intrude..."_**

**_"You're not intruding,"_** she said, focusing kind eyes on Will. **_ "Please sit down. I want to meet Sonny's friends."_**

**_"Actually, Will and I just met,"_** Sonny admitted to her, **_"just a couple of days ago. He came in for coffee and we hit it off. Then he was here again last night. In fact, I agreed to help him with his paper on 'The Kite Runner'."_** Sonny nodded at Will and scooted over to share his bench seat.

**_"Kite Runner? I remember you loved that book, Son. Are you still reading as much as you used to? You seemed to like books almost as much as you like music!"_**

**_"No, not reading as much anymore. I hope to start reading textbooks sometime soon, though. For now, I just always make sure to have my MP3 player on me loaded with all my favorites."_** Sonny pulled it from his pocket to prove his point.

**_"What kind of music do you listen to?"_**Will sat down and asked, his own MP3 player tucked in his pocket, always at the ready.

**_"Lots of different stuff!"_** Sonny started to get excited. **_"I listen to a lot of indie rock, some bluegrass crossover stuff like Mumford and Sons, The Lumineers and Of Monsters and Men. I really like the Divine Fits right now, Metric, Grizzly Bear, Band of Horses are all great, too."_**

_**"I love their song 'Shivers'...that whole album is amazing."**_ Will's face lit up when he started talking about music. **_"I really like The Postal Service, too. Oh, and Polica. If you haven't heard them, you should definitely check 'em out."_**

**_"One of my friends just sent me an article about them...they are from the Twin Cities, right?"_**

**_"Yep! I really like them. I've got some on my MP3 player if you want to listen?"_** Will reached into his pocket just as his little brother came running over to him.

**_"Will, did you see how big our tower was? We knocked it down and blocks went everywhere!"_** Johnny had a glint in his eye that made Will look immediately at the play area to make sure those blocks actually got picked up.

**_"Hi there,"_**Janice said sweetly to Johnny,**_ "what is your name?"_**

**_"I'm Johnny."_**

**_"Johnny, nice to meet you. I'm Janice and this is Jax,_**" she motioned to the child in her lap. **_"How old are you?"_**

**_"Five,"_** he said and held up his hand displaying the same amount of fingers. He turned to Will, **_"can we go now and play our new video games?"_**

**_"Sure, we can go,"_**Will started to get up. **_ "Johnny is my younger brother. Our Mom took our sisters out for a girls day, so Johnny and I decided to have our own guys day, right buddy?"_** Johnny nodded his head and grabbed his big brother's hand.

Will said his good-byes and headed for the door with Johnny. **_ "We're still on for tomorrow night, 7:00 right Sonny?"_** He turned back briefly to confirm their study session.

**_"We are."_** Sonny replied. **_ "Let's meet here first. We might have to go some place a bit more quiet, but at least you can get a good cup of coffee first to help you get through the book!"_**

**_"I'm pretty sure I'll need it,"_** Will rolled his eyes. **_"Good to meet you Janice, Jax, see you tomorrow Sonny."_**

**_"He seems quite nice, Sonny and he is very cute,"_** Janice commented as soon as Will was gone. **_ "So, you are just studying together tomorrow night?"_** She teased and winked at him.

**_"Yes, Janice, I am helping him with his paper on The Kite Runner, remember?"_** He knows that she does and that she is just enjoying the opportunity to mess with him a little.

**_"Well, one thing is for sure, he is good with kids. I think this might be a good thing for you, Sonny, getting to know Will. He can always help you with Jax if needed."_**

**_"Yeah, well how do I explain that to him? Ummm...my parents kicked me out at 16 when I told them I was gay, I went to work on the streets doing various things for money, I met you and we moved in together, we became best friends, three years later you found out you were sick and pregnant and called my parents to bring me back to the states and away from you. Now, you suddenly come back into my life, after not hearing from you for almost 2 years, and you tell me that you want me to be the guardian of your child when you die. I'm not sure a guy I just met is ready for all that. Plus, I am just helping him with his paper,"_** he finished exasperated.

**_"Well, clearly Son, you aren't as okay with all of this as you said you were yesterday. So, Jax and I are going to go back to our hotel and take a nap. Call me if you want to talk or see us later, okay?"_** Janice leaned over and kissed Sonny on the cheek.

**_"I'm sorry, Janny,"_** Sonny said regretting his outburst. **_"It is really new to me, and I need some time to take it all in."_**

**_"Of course you do, Sonny,"_** she got Jax into his coat and packed the toys into her bag. **_ "You know I love you and still consider you to be the best friend I have. I wouldn't be asking this of you if I didn't have to. But, Sonny, I have no one else. So, take some time, Son, and let me know soon if you're up for this. Because if you aren't, I have to make other arrangements."_** And Janice and Jax were gone, leaving Sonny alone at the table.

_'How the hell did all of this happen?'_ Sonny thought and ran his hands through his hair. Just as his life was coming together; he was running a successful business, getting ready to take college courses again, and was actually interested enough in someone to give him his number. How was a toddler going to fit into all of this? Sonny had absolutely no idea.


	5. Chapter 5

Sonny and Will were sitting at a small table in the back corner of Common Grounds. Will had his chin resting in his palm, trying to follow Sonny's hands flailing in excitement over his love for the book; Sonny was fumbling through pages as fast or faster than Will thought was humanly possible and was still trying to explain all of what he needed to know to write a solid paper.

Will leaned down to rub his eyes with both hands and said, **_"Ok, Sonny, let's just slow down here for a second. Maybe I should just watch the movie? Because you lost me when you started talking about 'Baba being very critical of Amir' - explain why?"_**

Will tipped his head just long enough for him to see a smile break across Sonny's face. Stopping for a second, Sonny's chocolate-brown eyes twinkled, and he couldn't help himself from laughing at Will. He had explained the first few chapters five times, and Will still wasn't catching on. Will's frustration was becoming more and more apparent; his blue eyes were bright and fiery and his cheeks were deep crimson. Sonny found these two features of Will's absolutely fetching, and he felt his breathing stagger a bit as he got lost in those baby blues. Without even thinking, Sonny reached out and grabbed Will's hands, trying to help release some of the tension in his balled-up fists. As soon as he did that, Will's head shot up and not knowing how to react, he pulled his hands from Sonny's and tucked them inside his front jean's pockets. He responded, obviously flustered, **_"Please, one more time Sonny. Explain Baba, Hassan and Amir. Please."_**

Will looked so helpless, so lost that Sonny knew he would continue to work on this book with him as long as it took. With those crystal blue eyes of Will's looking so intently at Sonny, he found himself drowning in that sight and sighed, giving in easily,**_ "Okay, but no cheating by watching the movie. It's not the complete story." _**Sonny took a deep breath and repeated one more time:**_ "All right, Baba finds Amir to be too soft, not manly enough. Plus a part of him blames him for his wife, Amir's Mom, dying in childbirth. Finally when Amir wins a kite running competition with Hassan, he thinks everything is perfect until Hassan gets assaulted by the neighborhood bully while protecting Amir's kite. Amir can't deal with his guilt...he feels he is weak and a coward for not standing up for a friend...kind of like me."_** Sonny said that last part very quietly and looked down. Biting his cheek, he fiddled with his string bracelet and stared at his hands as if they were the most important thing in the room. Will wasn't sure what had just happened. The change in his demeanor was so drastic, Will didn't know if he should ask about it or just let it go. **_"Excuse me? Sonny are you okay?"_** he attempted trying to sort out what he thought he heard.

That snapped Sonny out of his reverie, **_"Huh? Yeah, I'm okay."_** Sonny tilted his head to the side, looking sadly at Will and then he changed the subject. **_"Will, was that not all right that I grabbed your hands earlier? Because I thought I was getting some signals from you...you know, I like you, and I thought that maybe you kind of liked me too. But if you don't, I'm cool. I won't try anything again, I'm sorry."_** Sonny didn't let Will respond, he didn't want to hear the rejection, so he rushed on, **_"So, Amir was very different from his father, and Baba struggled with him. He showed more affection towards Hassan than Amir and that made things even worse. Baba and Amir clearly didn't understand each other, and it caused a tremendous amount of tension in the household."_**

**_"Wait a second, what did you say?"_** Will's eyes squinted and his eyebrows met on his forehead.

**_"Baba didn't get Amir, he understood Hassan and treated him more like a son that he did his own child..._**" Sonny started again.

**_"No, not that part,"_**Will interrupted and paused to take a breath, **_"the part about me liking you too. Are you saying that you, um, like me?"_**

**_"I thought you could tell that the first time we met. And then the other night when you were here with that guy, my curiosity got the best of me, and I kind of horned in on your date. But, to answer your question directly Will, yes, I like you."_**Sonny took a deep breath, not sure how Will was going to react to that revelation, and then leaned back in his seat as he slowly let the breath out.

For the first time they started their study session, Will smiled. Feeling a new sense of confidence at Sonny's confession, Will stretched his arms across the table to where Sonny's were crossed in front of him. He slowly unfolded them and took Sonny's hands lightly into his. He felt a jolt of electricity course through his body at Will's touch, and Sonny raised his head to meet Will's eyes. Squeezing his hands back, they shared a smile of understanding and sat together in silence, enjoying this new feeling.

**_"How could someone basically reject their child? That's what I'm not getting, I think."_** Will brought them back to their book discussion. He shut his eyes tightly and sighed in resignation. **"I have three siblings, and I can't imagine not loving them, let alone MY child." Will added, "Unlike my father."**

Will looked over the table at Sonny to see his face downcast, solemn, listening, but not really listening to the one-sided conversation Will was having. Finally he nodded and spoke softly,**_ "I can understand, Will, my parents did the same to me. Anyway that was a long time ago. Plus,"_** Sonny said and stood to refill his coffee cup, **_"this is about the book, not about us, right?"_**

As soon as Sonny sat back down, Will stood up and walked behind him, put his hands on his shoulders, and started giving him a gentle massage. Will felt instantly how tense Sonny was and decided to revisit the demeaning comment Sonny had made about himself just a few minutes ago. Sonny rolled his shoulders forward and dropped his head, rolling it side to side, relishing in the feeling of having Will's hands on him.

**_"You know Sonny, why don't we take a break, the paper's not due until next week..."_**

Sonny shook his head, **_"I just have a lot going on, and I really feel like I need to talk to somebody about it. I need to get this off my chest and I'd talk to you, Will, but it sounds like you have your own little luggage of mess you're dealing with too."_** He stopped and hung his head. **_ "So as long as you're okay with us taking a break, let's head out and get something to eat,"_**Sonny backtracked as soon as the words were out of his mouth, **_"unless you have something else to do, then that's fine. I-I can go to the pub alone..."_**

_**"Sonny, I'd love to go with you and grab something to eat."**_ Will ran his hands down Sonny's arms and returned them to rest on his shoulders. Will came back around to his chair and saw Sonny's face relax just slightly.

Without looking at Will, Sonny stepped behind the bar, took off his apron and wiped down the counter. He threw the apron in the bucket of dirty towels and asked Chad if he could keep an eye on things for a bit. He really needed to step out and have a breather. Sonny nodded to Chad in appreciation, then walked to the table, grabbed his stuff and headed out the door. Will followed, silently observing the difference in Sonny's body language and mood.

They both walked the distance to the pub in complete silence. Will opened his mouth to begin to say something several times, but then he'd close it again, every time kicking himself for not being brave enough to find out what had just transpired.

Sonny could tell that Will was needing to say something but purposely made himself distant and unavailable for conversation. He dug his hands deeper into his pockets and dragged his feet, kicking rocks, as they got closer and closer to the pub. The last few steps into the building were far too excruciatingly slow for Will's taste, but he knew that Sonny needed this walk to clear his head.

They went inside and ordered from Will's Grandma Caroline, the one woman in Salem that everyone loved and sought out for advice. Women especially came to Caroline when they had issues with the Brady men. Grandma Caroline always seemed to know just the right thing to say to comfort their deepest worries. Will hoped maybe he could be that for Sonny tonight. Watching the duo, his Grandma smiled and winked at Will as he sat down across from Sonny. He blushed and smiled back at her, lifted his hand in a small wave and then turned his attention back to Sonny.

**_"Sonny, I'm only going to offer once because I don't want to be pushy. But it is clear to me that you have some heavy stuff on your mind and need to get it off of your chest. I'm guessing it has something to do with your parents since it came up once we got more into the book. And although it sounds like you would much rather forget, you know that you'll only feel better once you talk about it."_** Will said as he crossed his arms and laid his head on them, looking tenderly into Sonny's troubled eyes. **_"I'm here for you, Sonny. We may have just only met a couple days ago, but I feel like I can trust you...and I want you to know that you can trust me, with anything."_**

Sonny sheepishly looked at Will and was caught off guard at how beautiful he was in that moment. Will's blue eyes were like little crystals, the light in the pub reflecting off them made Sonny think of fireworks, set off just for him. It was then that Sonny knew without an ounce of hesitation that he trusted Will completely. And he did need to talk to someone. His head was swimming with thoughts of Janice and Jax, and how he could possibly be a parent when he had no clue what to do. He reached across the table and caught one of Will's hands in his and laid his head on his arm, mimicking Will.

Sonny sighed and began, **_"I don't even know where to start, Will...there's just so much."_** Will didn't say a word; he just kept his complete attention on Sonny and waited for him to be ready to continue. In the process of SOnny gathering his thoughts, Will stood up and slid into the chair next to Sonny, wrapping his arms around Sonny's shoulder, he gave it a little squeeze. Sonny took a deep breath and began his story.**_ "Pretty much most of my adolescent life I knew I felt different...about girls, about boys...relationships. I never knew what it was until my parents moved us to Paris for a year. With the help of a couple of friends from school, I realized that I was gay. So, when I was 16, I decided I had to come out to my folks. Gosh, I was so scared to tell them; I thought they'd be confused, but I didn't think they'd hate me. Well, without going into too much detail, it was horrible and they threw me out of the house. I don't imagine they ever thought I'd actually leave when they gave me their ultimatum, but there was no way I could stay there and go on living a lie. So, I surprised all of us and packed what I could into my bag and left. Now this is in Paris, where I still don't know a lot of people, and I'm out wandering the streets with just the clothes on my back, a few in my backpack and just enough Euro's for a motel that night." A small tear found itself rolling down Sonny's cheek. "While looking for a cheap place to stay, I ran into a woman who out of the kindness of her heart, offered to help me. She must have seen how desperate and lost I was. Anyway, this woman was beautiful, Will, I was drawn to her. She had pale ivory skin, deep red hair that flowed in soft waves, fiery green eyes, and she just had the most amazing aura about her."_** Sonny closed his eyes at the memory, as if trying to transport himself back to that very night.

**_"This is your friend from the coffee-house yesterday, Janice, right?"_** Will asked softly, encouraging Sonny to go on.

**_"Yes. She really did save me. She let me stay with her, became my mom, dad, sister, best friend, everything all rolled up into one wonderful person."_** Sonny said as he straightened himself up and rubbed the tears from his cheeks with both hands. Wanting to be connected to Will again, he leaned his head into the curve of Will's neck, laying his hand on the table in silent invitation for Will to take it and hold on to it. Sonny breathed a sigh of relief when Will grasped his hand and urged him to go on.

**_"And the baby, Jax...?"_** Will asked, leaving the end of the question open in case Sonny wasn't ready to go that deep.

**_"Not mine."_** Will was only slightly relieved. **_ "Janice and I had a business, Will, not one that I'm proud of, but one that helped us survive for those 3 years together. Then suddenly one night she fainted, found out she was sick and pregnant with Jax. Without even telling me, she called my mom and dad and asked them to come and get me. They had moved back to Salem by that time, and we were living in London, but that didn't stop them from hopping a plane and racing to get me that same day. Janice says it was for my own good, and at the time, I didn't believe her. I was so mad. I tried contacting her for months after, but she knowingly lost touch, didn't ever call me back."_** Sonny's face showed such pain, such sadness. **_ "But now, Will? I own a business, have a pretty decent relationship with my parents, and I know this is kind of soon, but sitting here with you, holding your hand, I can't imagine being anywhere else."_**

Will grinned openly at Sonny, his smile acknowledging he felt the same way. Will wanted to be happy in that moment, but he was thinking about Sonny's life just 5 short years ago, and it made him terribly sad that he wasn't there for him. Will remembered feeling that alone and abandoned when he first came out. His mom had sworn he wasn't gay because_ "she would know it",_ and Lucas just plain refused to admit it, claiming there was something wrong with his son. Until Will came back around and out of his gay phase, Lucas said he only had a daughter. Will's lips pursed as he frowned at the memory. Remembering this only made Sonny's story seem even sadder somehow.

Will entangled his fingers in Sonny's, relishing the feel of the obvious connection between the two. Brushing his thumb against Sonny's forefinger, he said so softly, **_"it must have been so hard for you to leave her sick, pregnant..."_**

**_"I didn't know at the time that she was pregnant, Will, you have to believe me. She conveniently left that part out thinking she was protecting me. Trust me, I would have never left Janice had I known she was in so much trouble._**" His eyes welled up again, pleading with Will to understand.

Will nodded and said matter-of-factly, **_"I know Sonny, and she knew it too. It sounds like that's exactly why she did what she did."_**Will found that he too, was fighting the tears from rolling down his face.

Sonny smirked, **_"Pragmatic much?"_** They both chuckled. **_ "Anyway, she's back and she needs help with Jax. Janice doesn't think she has much longer, so helping her with Jax means becoming his legal guardian. As in, legal guardian for the rest of his life. Will, it terrifies me, and I don't know if I can do it."_**

Will leaned back in his chair, never breaking contact with their hands and asked Sonny very seriously, **_"Do you still love her?"_**

Sonny said without missing a beat, **_"Beyond words."_**

Then Will smiled, his smile not quite reaching to the sides of his eyes,**_ "Then that settles it, doesn't it?"_**

Sonny looked at their hands, then at Will, understanding the unspoken promise to help each other through what ever life tossed their way. **_ "If you are willing to help me, because there is a lot I don't know about caring for a child. As long as you are here for me, then yes, I guess it does settle things."_**Will smiled and nodded. He gave Sonny's shoulder a last squeeze and slowly untangled their hands, and walked over to the other side of the table to start on the amazing sandwiches Grandma Caroline was famous for making. After all, Horton's weren't known for holding anything back, and good food was one of those things they all splurged in.

They ate their food in comfortable conversation, Sonny telling Will about how he learned to dance at one of the strip clubs in London, and Will laughing at the thought of 60-year-old women putting singles in his jock strap. **_ "Maybe someday you could dance for me,"_** Will teased, feeling bolder by the minute.

**_"Maybe,"_** Sonny flirted right back. **_ "Will,"_** he stopped suddenly, turning serious. **_"It's not going to be easy. Any of this. I still have issues from my past to deal with...and taking care of a child, my life is going to change drastically. Are you sure you want to start this relationship with me? I mean, it's still early, and you can tell me it's too much for you. I'll understand."_** Sonny met Will's eyes somberly, waiting breathlessly for his response.

**_"Sonny, I don't know exactly what this is,"_** he gestured between the two of them,**_ "but something won't let me walk away. I just got here...but I-I don't want to leave."_** Will smile shyly, openly, his feelings exposed. **_"I'll be your friend through this and hopefully more. I really like you, Sonny. Plus, I'm particularly good with kids."_** His smile widened, and his eyes twinkled.

**_"I know. Janice even noticed that."_** Sonny swallowed, his emotions raw and fragile, **_"Thank you for taking a chance on me. For being my friend. For not running the other way. You don't even know how much it means to me."_**

**_"Sure, Sonny. I don't think I could walk away without at least giving us a try."_** Will reached over and set his hand on one of Sonny's. **_"Promise me one thing, though, please?"_**

**"Anything."** Sonny replied simply.

**"Let me watch the damn movie. I'm begging you. I'm not sure I can handle another one of your lessons."** Will looked nervously at Sonny, hoping he hadn't offended him.

**_"Fine. You can watch the movie. But only after you read the book."_**

**_"Sure, Sonny,"_** Will responded trying to not sound as sarcastic as he felt.


	6. Chapter 6

The duo made their way back to the coffee-house, relishing in the fact that within a matter of a shared dinner, they had become closer and felt like they could tell each other anything. Best friends one could even dare to say. As they walked through the town square, Will stopped suddenly and it took Sonny a few steps before he realized Will was no longer right with him.

**"Will, is everything okay?"** he asked, concerned. Perhaps he had overloaded Will with so much information that he was just now absorbing the gravity of it all. He met Will's eyes and opened them wider in question.

**_"Everything is better than okay, Sonny. Stop worrying so much. I can see it in your expression!"_** They had met only a few days ago and Will was practically already reading Sonny's mind. **_"Sonny, this is going to sound super cheesy, but I just felt really happy and lucky and needed to stop and enjoy the feeling."_**

**_"Why so happy, so lucky now?"_** Sonny inquired innocently.

Will released a frustrated **_"hrmph"_** and shook his head at the gorgeous, brown-eyed beauty in front of him. **_"Seriously, Sonny? You don't know why?"_** Observing Sonny's silence, Will carried on,**_ "it's you, silly. Maybe it's just me, but I think we had a pretty great moment there back at the pub, and I'm just tucking that memory away for safe keeping. You make me happy, Sonny, and I'm really looking forward to where this relationship might go."_**

_**"Wow, Will, we're starting a relationship."**_Sonny spoke softly and emotionally, obviously touched by Will's sentiment. **_ "I'm glad to hear that I haven't totally scared you off with all my drama."_** Chuckling at himself, Sonny reached his hand out to Will. Grabbing it firmly, Will laced his fingers with Sonny's and they resumed their walk, heading back to Common Grounds.

They got to the coffee shop, and Will sat down at what he liked to think of already as _"their table"_. Fed and satisfied both physically and mentally, Will and Sonny were able to finish up his paper in a little under 2 hours. As they were about to finish, Will sat up and Sonny could see the light bulb go on over his head.

**_"So really, the story is about redemption...about how it's never too late to make things right with those you love. Amir couldn't directly tell Hassan, to apologize, to thank him for his loyalty and friendship, but he demonstrated that by taking in Hassan's son. He may have abandoned Hassan once, but he would never turn his back again. Even after all that time, Hassan was still teaching Amir about how to love, forgive and go on with life no matter what's thrown at you."_**

Sonny knew this book so well, but he was flabbergasted at how much Will's summary made him think of his own life. His story and Amir's were more parallel than he ever realized. Though Sonny hadn't left Janice without a fight, that hadn't stopped him from suffering years of guilt and regret. Amir got his redemption. Now was Sonny's chance.

**_"Sonny, are you in there?"_** Will teased after hearing no response. He looked at Sonny who was clearly lost in his own thoughts.

After a few minutes, Sonny finally spoke. **_ "Don't you ever wonder, Will, why life happens the way it does? Why some people come into your life when and where you need them the most?"_** Sonny didn't ask expecting to get an answer. But the depth of what he heard from Will blew him away.

**_"I think that people are drawn to each other because of that very reason. You were meant to meet Janice, so that she could teach you how to survive, how to go on through the hardest of times; she was meant to meet you so that she could leave this life feeling confident that her child will be cared for and loved with the same intensity that she has for him."_** Will paused to take in a breath, feeling nervous preparing for what he wanted to say next. **_ "And you and me?"_** his voice was shaky and his cheeks started to flush. **_ "I think we are meant to be, too. You needed someone to remind you how strong you are, and that you can take on this challenge of raising a child."_**

**_"And you, Will, what did you need from me?"_** Sonny whispered.

**_"I needed to be reminded that the little things in life are just that - little. What's most important are relationships...and that it's never too late to forgive. This has really made me rethink how I've treated my parents - especially my mom. We are on fairly good terms now, but I know that I can reach out to her a lot more. I know that I need to let go of the past and focus on moving forward."_** Will paused, swallowed and continued, **_"You also reminded me of how amazing it feels to be attracted to someone, how incredible it feels to realize when those feelings are mutual, an-and that maybe true love isn't so impossible to find after all."_**

The couple didn't speak, didn't touch but sat together in silence, their eyes locked and feelings bare. The moment was so intense that neither wanted to break the spell. Will had never felt so connected, so drawn to another person before, and Sonny knew that he would never have had the strength to forgive himself without Will's encouragement. They found each other because they needed to find each other.

Chad stood behind the bar through all of this, keeping one eye on his best friend, Will, and the other eye on his business partner and pal, Sonny. Even a blind man could tell that these two were in to each other. Since Will's first boyfriend, Karl, Chad had taken on the _"big brother"_ role with Will. Karl did a number on Will's confidence and faith in love, and Chad would be damned if he let Sonny do the same thing. He continued to dry his coffee cups, never once taking his eyes off of the duo. Will and Sonny, for most of the report, had their heads bowed, almost forehead to forehead in a quiet conversation, Will explaining what he didn't understand, and Sonny doing his best to explain it so Will could understand. Neither boy noticed the commotion around them; all the hustling and bustling of people coming in and out, wanting coffee and the _"best scones in town"_ didn't phase them. Chad was in awe of the intensity of the pair and finally felt confident enough in Sonny's intentions to leave the bar to finish filling sugar packets and coffee stirrers.

After the last customer left, Chad locked the door, leaned his back against it and sighed. Not only was he exhausted, but he was also frustrated and a bit lonely. He walked back to the bar barely picking up his feet, grabbed the iPod from the bottom shelf and immediately found some Mumford and Sons. He scanned through the first few songs, and then settled on one with a beautiful, soulful sound. The music entwined the room and filled the air with a lightness that hadn't been felt since before dinner rush.

**Serve God, love me and mend**  
**This is not the end**  
**Lived unbruised, we are friends**  
**And I'm sorry**  
**I'm sorry**

Sonny picked up a towel, Will picked up a tray, and together, they began cleaning off the table tops, not even realizing that their hands would slowly touch as they worked.

**Sigh no more, no more**  
**One foot in sea, one on shore**  
**My heart was never pure**  
**You know me**  
**You know me**

This part made Sonny think about all that he had just shared with Will. He had found a life many moons ago, and now that he was back in Salem, Will was the only person who knew him. Really knew him for what was inside of him and not just the part of him that he showed to everyone else. He started to ponder how well he knew Will. Would Will want to have a relationship with him if he decided to take Jax? Will all but talked Sonny into taking the little boy, and Will was amazing with children, but did he want to be this involved with a child at this point in his life? Were either of them ready for this? Sonny's mind was racing a million miles a minute as he pondered these questions that were far beyond first date material.

**But man is a giddy thing**  
**Oh man is a giddy thing**  
**Oh man is a giddy thing**  
**Oh man is a giddy thing**

Will started subconsciously swaying on his feet, dancing slightly to the sounds of the music coming from the speakers surrounding the shop. He slowly whirled around and set the tray on the bar and started shuffling, shifting his hips back and forth to the music, dancing like he was the only person in the world. Sonny smiled and started swaying his hips, too, shuffling, spinning from table to table wiping down the counter tops, crossing paths with Will often. Each time their eyes met it was magical. They'd smile, seeing only the other, sharing so many feelings without saying a word. Chad stood back and grinned at the scene unfolding in front of him.

**Love; it will not betray you**  
**Dismay or enslave you, it will set you free**  
**Be more like the man you were made to be**

Sonny and Will ran into each other just as those words were spoken. Will's arm found its way around Sonny's waist, Sonny's hand found its way to Will's strong chest, and they held on to each other as the collision caught them both off guard. Without speaking, the two began to dance together, slowly and methodically trying not to step on each other's feet, but wanting to convey the feelings neither knew yet how to put into words. They continued to sway as the beat of the song sped up, but for these two, the only rhythm they heard was the beating of their own hearts.

**There is a design, an alignment to cry**  
**Of my heart to see,**  
**The beauty of love as it was made to be**

Will leaned forward and rested his chin on Sonny's shoulder, his arms moving up to encircle Sonny's neck. He inhaled the coffee scent that made Sonny unique, and he closed his eyes to enjoy the sweet pleasure. Sonny pulled Will's hips closer, and the two fit their bodies together so tightly, it was like they were moving as one person. After a while, Will pulled back from Sonny, realizing that the music had stopped.

**_"Chad?"_** Sonny called out into the empty and now slightly darkened space. No response. _**"I guess I missed him leaving. Should I put on some more music?"**_ Will shook his head silently and brought Sonny back into his embrace. Soon they were entranced with each other once again, oblivious to the fact that they were swaying to silence. Sighing into each other and holding on tight, they continued to dance to their own music far into the night.


	7. Chapter 7

Janice watched as Sonny hurriedly packed the diaper bag, making sure there was plenty of juice, diapers, changes of clothing, snacks, wipes, and just as he thought that he had put everything in except the kitchen sink, Sonny realized he forgot Jax's nook. He smiled and rolled his eyes at Janice as he searched the counter for a stray pacifier. Tucking one into an inside pocket, he stopped to look at everything he was bringing along for their outing to the park. He could not believe that a person so little needed so much stuff.

Over the past few weeks as Janice's health began to quickly decline, Sonny took as much time off work as possible and tried to get her out and about with Jax. Today was especially important for them to get some fresh air, because tomorrow Janice went in for her very last treatment. Though experimental from the start, they were still surprised when the Dr told her that the treatments failed to stop her cancer's progression. That was a month ago. And since then, Janice made the decision, knowing full well the consequences, to stop treatments after tomorrow. Neither of them said as much, but they each knew how vital this afternoon had become, recognizing this may be one of the last precious moments they have together.

Janice hated how worn down, groggy and nauseous she felt all the time. The worst was that she had become so weak that she couldn't lift Jax anymore and rarely had the energy to spend any time with him at all. For the most part, Janice slept most of the day and barely ate during the little time she was awake. She felt sub-human. And despite the finality of her decision to stop treatments, she knew with certainty that it was the right one. She didn't want to live like this. She most certainly didn't want her little boy, the joy of her life, the ruler of her world, to watch her struggling and sick. Sonny supported her in every decision she made, even if it meant he would lose his dearest friend. Even if it meant he would parent little Jax on his own - for the rest of both of their lives. As he painfully watched her grow weaker by the day, Sonny knew instinctively that she didn't have much time. All the same, he was determined to make every minute together count. He had promised Janice that he would tell Jax about her every day, and that Jax would always feel her love around him. He hoped these assurances would give her comfort.

**_"Mommy, mommy, mommy, da, da, papa, baay-beee,"_** Jax babbled on from his pack and play, where he was hanging out until they were ready to leave.

**_"Baby?"_** Sonny asked, heading over to Jax, _**"where's the baby?"**_

_**"Meeee!"**_ Jax squealed as Sonny reached down to tickle him. **_"Me da baay-bee!_**" Jax drew out that word like it was two and pointed at himself. Picking up a bouncing Jax, Sonny put on his jacket, grabbed the diaper bag and helped Janice walk out to the car.

He snapped Jax into the car seat and pulled on to the buckles to double-check they were all set and were tight enough for his liking; finding they were, he confidently closed the back door and settled Janice gently into the passenger seat. Sonny pulled out into traffic, smiling at the babbling baby in the back seat, gurgling and kicking his feet, content with being in his car seat. Sonny was finding that he liked this bliss, the baby, the car, the relationship, he liked it all. He wished with all his heart that Will would still want this with him when he became Jax's sole parent. Sonny shook his head and he chastised himself at the thought of Will leaving him high and dry. He's a Horton, for crying out loud, they're devoted to the end.

Sonny was still having a hard time believing that he and Will had been seeing each other for over two months now. The real turning point had happened the evening after they finished Will's paper. In addition to some very intense hand-holding, they ended up slow-dancing together, after crashing into each other as they were cleaning up the coffee shop later that night. It was accidental and completely magical. It wasn't hard to decipher from their body language - unabashed stares and giddy smiles - that they were into each other. A lot. Since then, they've had a few dates alone and lots more dates spent with Janice and Jax at the coffee shop. Granted, they weren't getting a lot of quality time just the two of them, but truth be told, Sonny almost preferred their _"family_" time together. Every time Will joined them, both Janice and Jax came to adore him more and more, and Sonny was starting to feel himself falling for the guy.

**"This looks like a nice place to sit, huh?**" Sonny asked Janice as he began to unfold a blanket for them to lay on. **_"Little man!"_** He said as a wiggling waddling little chubby baby made his way into the middle of the blanket, bringing dirt and grass with him. Sonny laid down and put the baby on his back and began blowing raspberries on his belly, tickling between. Janice watched the duo and knew she had made the right decision leaving Jax with his namesake. Her son was kicking his feet and giggling at her best friend, who was already a better father to him than she could have ever imagined.

**"The view is great here, Son."** She said and nodded towards Will, who was on his daily jog.

**_"Hey Will, over here!"_** Sonny called and waved to a perspiring, shirtless Will to come join the small group. He had his jersey shorts on, sneakers, hat on backwards, and was covered in hot, sticky sweat. Janice watched Sonny literally size him up, decide where to devour first, and lick his salivating lips. She smiled knowing Sonny had it bad for this guy and then frowned at the realization that this same guy might just become Sonny's saving grace, his rock in the next couple of months.

Will grabbed the shirt that was tucked into the back of his shorts, wiped himself down and laid beside a very happy, giggling baby boy. _**"Dill!"**_ Jax said in his little baby talk. **_"Yes, my man, it's Will,"_** he said as he picked him up and played airplane, chubby legs flailing. Jax's laughter turned into an ear-piercing shriek the higher and faster they got. Janice peeked over at Sonny, who was intently observing his boyfriend with his soon-to-be son. Sonny could not help a huge grin from spreading across his face as he watched Will chase a somewhat unsteady, toddling Jax around the tree they were picnicking under.

Running out of breath, Will sat down, swooped up Jax and sat him on his lap. Noticing Sonny still clearly staring at him, Will wiggled his eyebrows, leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Da!" Jax interrupted loudly, and Will and Sonny looked down to see Jax looking back up at the two of them. They smiled and laid down on their sides, forehead to forehead, tucking Jax in the middle. Will looked into Sonny's eyes as they lay facing each other, giggling baby snuggled closely between them. Enjoying the moment, feeling like they didn't have a care in the world, they met in the middle for a tender kiss. Losing themselves momentarily, they kissed without worrying who was watching; they reveled in the jolt of electricity bouncing all around their bodies and were only broken apart when two chubby little hands encased Will's cheeks, and they heard the most angelic voice say **_"Mommy aseep"_**.

The couple looked over to where Janice was sitting to find she had fallen asleep. Sonny's smile faded and he started to panic when he didn't notice her chest rising. He rushed to her as Will pulled out his phone to call an ambulance, while bouncing a happy little boy, who was unaware that his mommy might not wake up.


	8. Chapter 8

For Will and Sonny it was like the world was moving in a blur, spinning out of control and they were stuck standing still, holding this helpless baby Sonny had promised to love and take care of for the rest of his life. The gravity of the situation hit them strong in the gut and overwhelmed them with fears and anxieties about the precious life that would soon be officially in Sonny's care.

Sonny cradled a sleeping Jax as they walked to his father's office to complete the paperwork, making Jackson Eoin McLean his child. This was the moment when Sonny would become the legal guardian of an amazing, green-eyed, red-haired, almost 2-year-old. He was terrified at the realization that he had no idea how to take care of another human being, especially a baby. Every time Sonny looked into Jax's eyes, he was filled with so many great memories, but so many painful ones, too; Jax had his mother's eyes, face, and fiery personality. This filled Sonny with happiness and yet there was a pang of sadness lurking, hiding within his deepest insecurities. Sensing Sonny's anxiety, Will quietly walked up beside him and put his hand on Sonny's elbow. Never losing contact, he continued with him stride for stride, trying to reassure Sonny by his actions that he would never have to go through this alone.

The closer they got to Justin's office, the more the walls seemed to close in on Sonny, until he had to stop and hand Jax over to Will just to catch his breath. He leaned his hand against the wall, bowed his head and took a few deep, strong breaths. He reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose and he sighed, as if defeated, and leaned his forehead against the wall. Knowing Sonny so well, Will immediately went to him, wrapped one strong arm around his waist and shifted Jax further up onto his shoulder.

**"Hey,"** Will whispered into Sonny's ear, **_"You aren't alone. I'm right here, right here for you man. Sonny, you can lean on me."_** And Will gave him a small kiss on his ear. **_ "You have to be strong for this guy right here."_** Will bounced Jax slightly to accent his point.**_ "I know you loved her Sonny, I did too. But right now, we have this baby to think about and we need to be strong, walk into your dad's office, and grant you guardianship so he doesn't get shipped from foster home to foster home his whole life. I know what that's like, moving from house to house, never knowing for sure where I'd be tomorrow, and it's not a nice way to grow up."_** Will leaned back and smiled at Sonny through the haziness of his freshly fallen tears.

With his eyes down, Sonny nodded, wiped the tears from his own cheeks and asked,**_ "Would you mind carrying him the rest of the way, Will? I wouldn't want to...to...wake him up or anything."_** Will smiled and nodded, knowing that was Sonny telling him that he really just needed a moment to process what was about to happen. His life would change forever in a matter of minutes. Sonny would be a father, and the gravity of that was a whole lot for him to wrap his head around.

Sitting in Justin's office, Sonny slowly read over the paper work, with Will's hand firmly on his back, keeping him focused and nudging him to continue on. Sonny tried to concentrate on all the words, all the legal-ease making this feel more like the signing of a professional contract rather than the acceptance of the role of Daddy to his best friend's son. Lifting the pen slowly, Sonny began to sign his name but paused and looked up. **_"Dad?"_** The question was left unanswered as Justin stood up from his chair, walked around to his son and kneeled down in front of him. **_"I know you've heard this before, but let me say it to you again. You are not alone son, you have Will, me, your mother, your brothers, uncle, cousins and friends you can count on. We know that you can do this."_** Sonny looked into his father's eyes, the man who meant the world to him, the man who taught him how to be comfortable being a Kiriakis in Salem and saw love, warmth, and confidence in them. He looked over at Will and was surprised to see the same emotions in his bright blue eyes. Sonny smiled at them both, looked down, and with tear stained eyes, signed his name.

Walking out of Justin's office, Sonny found that he had a slight spring in his step. He looked over at Will, still carrying a snoozing Jax and grinned at the pair. He rubbed the little boy's back and leaned in for a small peck on the lips from Will. Grabbing Will's free hand, they walked back to the park together and sat down for a picnic at _"their"_ spot. The spot where Janice had changed their lives forever.

Will hadn't known Janice for more than a few months, but he still found himself missing her often. There was something so welcoming about her, so comforting, that he felt embraced into their family from the very start. Will clearly understood why she meant so much to Sonny. She had taken care of him when he couldn't take care of himself; she was the reason he survived all those tumultuous years on the street; She is why he is the strong, compassionate and loving man he is today. For that, Will will always be grateful. At a moment when he could - and maybe should - feel overwhelmed and scared, Will felt remarkably calm, certain that he and Sonny together would get to watch Jax grow up.

Sonny wrestled with his own demons as they sat in the place where Janice took her last breath. Would things have been different if he'd stayed in London with her? Could he have talked her into trying more treatments, hoping they'd finally work? Sonny, recognizing with amazing clarity that these thoughts were going to get him nowhere, and finally put all those questions that could never be answered out of his mind. He let go. And he tried to channel Janice, to let her know that he loved Jax more than life itself, and that he'd lay down his life for him. Jax would always be loved and adored and spoiled rotten. Sonny hoped that Will would be with him all through this journey, and felt more certain than ever that they would remain side by side, through the toughest and most incredible of times. **_ "Thank you, Janny,"_** Sonny whispered into the air, **_"I miss you terribly but I see you every time I look at Jax. Please know that I will do anything for this little guy. I love you so much sweetheart...rest in peace my Janny."_** And Will squeezed his hand, reminding Sonny that he would be there for him - now and for a a long time to come.

Jax woke up suddenly and began to wail with hunger. **_ "Mommy, mommy, mommy..."_**he kept repeating, wanting desperately for the comfort of his mother. Will handed him over to Sonny, who now had to somehow find a way to let this baby boy know that his mother wouldn't be coming back. **_"How do I tell a two year-old that his mom is gone, Will? This is so hard."_** Sonny hung his head while rocking a momentarily pacified Jax.

**_"Sonny, I don't know. Just...speak from your heart. Assure him that mommy loves him but that Uncle Sonny and Uncle Will also love him very much. We know we can never replace Mom, and we wouldn't want to. But we promise to do our very best to always take care of him."_** Running his hand over Sonny's neck, he tried to soothe tense muscles. **_"Sonny, can you try to relax a little? Even for a baby, Jax can sense your anxiety and is reacting in part to you, too. So, take a deep breath, release it slowly, and go. You will be wonderful, as usual."_**

Sonny fed Jax a few hot dogs and then turned him in his lap, so they were face to face. **_ "Jax, mommy has gone to sleep."_** Jax started bouncing up and down **_"mommy seep, mommy seep, shhhhh"_** and he giggled a little, clapping his hands. Sonny knew that the little boy wouldn't understand what was happening so he said, **_"That's right Jax, shhhh mommy went to sleep. But this time mommy won't wake up."_** Jax just smiled, reaching for more hot dog. **_ "You're going to be with Uncle Sonny and Uncle Will now. Would you like that huh?"_** Jax clapped his hands and laughed, slobbering down his little chubby chin. Sonny looked sadly over to Will. One day when he was older, Jax would understand what happened to his mom. He would understand that his mother loved him so much that she flew across the ocean, to a foreign country, to find the one person she trusted to raise him. Sonny would make sure he understood. Even if it took every day for the rest of his life.

Will leaned over, kissed Sonny and whispered as their lips touched, **_ "You alright babe?"_**

Looking at Jax, who was no longer hungry and had already started drifting back off to sleep, Sonny smiled unabashedly. **_ "I am now,"_** he said, holding Will's gaze. **_ "I am now."_**


	9. Chapter 9

**_"Sonny! Bring me a towel, please!"_** Will yelled from the other room, clearly perturbed. From the tone of his voice and from past experiences, Sonny was convinced he knew the reason for Will's frustration.

Grabbing one from the linen closet in the hall on the way to Jax's room, Sonny couldn't help but chuckle as he continued to hear Will cursing under his breath. **_ "Here you go,"_** and he held out the towel, taking in the sight before him. Jax was laying contented on the changing table occupied with one of his favorite toys. Will stood there, clean diaper in one hand, wet wipe in the other, his t-shirt and sweat pants looking like he had been sprayed with a water hose, red-faced looking down at the little angel looking up at him.

**_"Does he only pee when I change him? How come he never does that to you?"_**

**_"Because, like I've told you many times dear, you keep the old diaper covering him until you can scoot the new one under. And you have to be quick, or,_**" he said grinning and pointing to Will's clothes, **_"you get pee'd on."_**

**_"Fine. There is just so much to remember! And plus I'm more used to changing my sister's diapers. They were much more in control of their bodily functions than this one is when they were his age."_**He points to a still entranced Jax, naked on the table, little feet kicking.

**_"Okay, Will, you know how you have a hard time, um, adjusting when it's cold? Well, this guy suffers from the same problem. Once you let it out unprotected, you never know what it's going to do."_** Sonny had to press his lips together to suppress the urge he was feeling to laugh loudly at his adorable, pee-sprinkled boyfriend.**_ "He's just a little boy, remember. Hopefully once we get to potty-training, he'll learn more control."_** Sonny fought so hard to stay quiet that he ended up snorting instead. It was about time something escaped; he was glad it was only a snort and not all-out hysteria.

Will continued to glare at him, hands still full. As Will switched the dirty diaper for the towel and bent over to finish changing Jax, the little stinker smiled at him and proceeded to spray him one more time. **_"Jax!"_** was the first thing out of Will's mouth. And then he looked from the most adorable toddler in front of him to the most adorable man standing beside him, and it was impossible to stay mad. With a chuckle, Will started laughing openly, having to lean over when his side started to hurt. Sonny joined in heartily, and he quickly cleaned up Jax, put the new diaper on, and set him on the floor. By that time, Sonny had laughed so hard that tears had sprung to his eyes. Wiping them away and trying to catch his breath, he put his arm around Will's neck and pulled him carefully in for a kiss, trying to avoid the wettest parts of Will's shirt. **_ "Well, the baby's changed. And it looks like you need to be, too. Do you need my help with that?"_** He teased and whispered evilly.

**_"No. Thank you, I can handle this on my own."_** He smacked Sonny on the butt as he walked out of Jax's bedroom to Sonny's. He kept a few changes of clothes here, since he spent most of his time with Sonny and Jax, but at this moment Will knew he needed to do laundry. He was particularly thankful today that he and Sonny were the same size. Pulling a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt from the drawer, he put them on and headed back to join his amazing boyfriend and his equally amazing son.

Over the next few weeks, Will and Sonny fell into a normal routine, renting an apartment together, not far from Adrienne and Justin's Mansion. They had came up with a workable schedule to occupy Jax. Sonny would keep him at the coffee-house while he was working. He had set up a small little corner in the side where Jax could doddle around, play with his toys and be a toddler. The customers would dote on him and gush how beautiful and well-adjusted the little tyke was. Will would come get him when he wasn't at school or studying and would take him to the park and play on the swings or race each other down the slides. They found that they spent every possible moment together, and Sonny loved it.

One evening, while cooking spaghetti, waiting for Will to get home from a late class, Sonny turned Pandora radio on the iPad and it immediately started playing a song with a great, up-tempo beat. **_"I can dance to this,"_**he said aloud and began moving slightly to the music. Little Jax was in his high chair eating his Cheerios and cheese cubes. Sonny started dancing, fully committed, swaying his hips, singing into the wooden spoon, and Jax laughed so hard his little face turned almost purple. Just then, Will opened the door to the apartment and smiled at the sight. He leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, taking in the show before him. Jax wiggled in his high chair, dancing along to his own toddler beat. Sonny twirled around the kitchen table wearing his apron, still carrying the wooden spoon like his own personal microphone, spaghetti starting to boil on the stove. It was domestic, it was beautiful and Will gave a quiet sigh at the thought of him and this tall, lean, dark man rolling around on that same kitchen table. He put a fist up to his mouth to stifle the sound and continued to watch the scene unfold right before his twinkling eyes.

Sonny caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of his eye and started to dance a little more provocatively, as if reading Will's mind. He gyrated his hips enticingly and ran his hand down his neck, across his chest and over his abdomen. He pushed the apron further down his waist, grabbed the hem of his shirt and made his way back up to his neck, giving a teasing bit of abdomen. Pointing his finger at Will, he beckoned him to come into the apartment and join the dance. Jax was clapping his hands and laughing, and he offered his encouragement as well. **_ "Silly dada!"_** Jax squealed.

Sonny froze and stopped his attempted seduction to look wide eyed at the little cherub, like the gates of Heaven just opened and the sun beams shinned down on this household. Perhaps this was a gift from Janice herself, confirmation that she approved. This was the sign Sonny needed to really know that he was doing okay playing the role he initially feared the most. His face broke into a broad smile, and his eyes lit up with pride.

**_"What did he just call you?"_** Will said with the same smile and goofy expression on his face. **_"Has he called you that before?"_** Will asked as he watched Sonny run over to Jax and excitedly lift him out of the high chair.

**_"No, this was the first time. I haven't encouraged it, I guess it's natural though, right? It sounded really amazing, didn't it!"_** Sonny said as more of an exclamation than a question. He bounced Jax, rubbed his little pot belly and his smile got bigger as Jax said over and over,**_ "dada, dada, dada"_** and cupped Sonny's face with his fat little fingers, covering it with his slobbery kisses. Sonny took one of Jax's hands and held it out slightly, pretending to tango with him across the room. As they moved towards Will still standing in the doorway, both brown and green eyes sparkled as they giggled at themselves.

Jax turned to Will and threw his arms in his direction, apparently wanting to switch dance partners. **_"Dada Dill, dada Dill"_** he babbled out, and Will rushed to the beautiful little angel and pulled him into his arms in a tight, protective hug. Will couldn't stop the tears from falling as he thought about how completely happy and fulfilled he was in that very moment. He looked at Sonny and saw the same dampness in his eyes. **_"Sonny, I think he thinks I'm his dad too!"_** Will stuttered, and he was smiling so widely that his cheeks started to hurt. Who knew that the three of them could find such joy from a situation that ended so sadly? They knew that they had each fallen in love with this little boy months ago, but until today, they hadn't realized that Jax had fallen in love with them both, too. Sonny wrapped his arms around his two favorite boys, and they all shared kisses, celebrating their complete little family.


	10. Chapter 10

Will stood leaning against the door frame of Jax's room for about ten minutes just watching this precious angel sleep. **_ "How did this all happen so fast, and how did you, little Jax, and your Daddy, become my entire world in so little time?"_** his whispered to himself. Will continued to stand in silence, watching as Jax's belly moved up and down as he breathed. He loved the sweet sigh's that Jax emitted every couple of breaths, they were sounds of peace and contentment. Will felt so happy he could burst.

**_"Will?"_** Sonny called softly, looking for him after he finished the dishes. Spotting him in Jax's room, Sonny smiled and walked up behind, wrapping his arms around Will's waist.**_ "So, how do you feel about being Dada Dill? I know this has all been such a whirlwind, so I understand if you're a little overwhelmed."_** Sonny held him a bit tighter and rested his chin on Will's shoulder.

Will sighed and folded his arms around Sonny's. **_ "You know, I thought I would. In fact, I'm pretty sure I should be overwhelmed, but Sonny, I'm not. I'm 19 years old, technically still a teenager, and I'm not freaking out."_** Sonny felt him sigh again. **_"I know this may sound corny, but, ahh...I-I loved Jax calling me Dada Dill. It's one of the most amazing experiences of my life."_**

Sonny was both relieved and astounded at the same time. In six short months he had met a wonderful man, saw the return of his best friend, watched that best friend die, and had assumed guardianship of his best friend's son. And was raising him, to his surprise as much as Will's, with that wonderful man he met just six short months ago. Sonny had decided long ago not to try to understand why these things happened; he just enjoyed them for the gifts that they were to him and tried harder every day to approach life with more love and openness than fear.

Smiling widely, Sonny said directly into Will's ear,**_ "You're going to be the kind of dad that kisses him until he's 20 aren't you?"_** Sonny chuckled happily and nestled his nose into the crook of Will's neck. He inhaled and the combination of Will's spicy scent and Jax's fresh, baby smell made him slightly dizzy. It was one of the best smells in the entire world. And yes, it was even better than coffee.

**_"I'm going to be the kind of dad that kisses him until I can't kiss him anymore."_**Will spun around in Sonny's arms and kissed him lightly on the lips. **_"What about you? How are you doing?_**" he whispered into the kiss.

Sonny smiled,**_ "I have never been better."_** He kissed Will right back with more pressure and intensity. Will started walking them, with Sonny backwards, both still kissing, out of Jax's room and slowly into the living room. Neither man wanted to lose contact with the other, but at the same time, neither were getting quite enough of the contact they needed. Will slowed the kiss as he fumbled with the bottom of Sonny's shirt, untucking it from his pants. Sonny quickly grabbed Will's hands and stilled them.

**_"Are you sure?"_** Sonny asked.

**_"Sonny, I've gone to sleep beside you and woken up beside you for almost two months now. That beautiful boy sleeping in his bedroom, he is your wonderful son,_**" he paused to bite his bottom lip.

"**_He's your son now, too, Will. Jax proved that by calling you Dada Dill."_** Sonny ran his thumb along Will's lip, freeing it from his nervous habit.

**_"Okay, well, he is OUR wonderful son. I want to be with you completely, Sonny. I want us to be a true family. I don't care that I've only known you for 6 months. I love you, and I want nothing more than to make love to you, right here, right now."_** Will's eyes bored into Sonny's with limitless love and desire. Sonny had trouble catching his breath. **_"And don't ask again, Sonny, because I'm sure. I've never been so sure about something in my entire life. Please Sonny."_** Will's crystal blue eyes pierced to Sonny's soul, and he was about to lose all control he had on his thoughts.

**_"I want this to be perfect for you, to go at your pace..."_** Sonny said as he pulled Will closer to him and slowly kissed his jaw bone, and down his neck, deciding to spend some time on his clavicle.

_**"It is perfect...it will be perfect Sonny; everything's perfect when it's with you."**_That's all Sonny needed to hear to deepen the kiss. Will's senses were on overload, he had a perfect Sonny's hands every where, and in not enough places at the same time. He didn't understand how every place Sonny touched, he burned, but when his hand moved to another spot, he yearned for that contact again. Will tried to keep up, but he was too focused on what Sonny was doing to him to comprehend anything at the moment.

Kissing frantically now and with immense urgency, Sonny pulled Will into their room, where they had shared many nights snuggling and getting to know each other's bodies but never taking this final step. Sonny slowly pulled Will's shirt off, and running his hands slowly over Will's pecks, he could feel his own need to be touched growing. He broke the kiss, pulled off his tank shirt and put Will's hands on his chest and said, "Touch me Will. Feel what you do to my body." and he brought his lips right back to meet Will's.

Slowly they worked their way towards the bed and out of their clothes, never losing skin to skin contact with the other. Sonny slowly sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled Will into his open legs, hands on Will's hips, Will's skin on fire.

Sonny laid back onto the bed, bringing Will on top of him. They both gasped as their naked bodies finally touched entirely from head to toe. "**_God, Will, you are so gorgeous!"_** Sonny couldn't help exclaiming as Will's hardness rubbed against his.

**_"Jeez, Sonny, you feel amazing!" _**Will responded breathlessly.

Moving quickly, Sonny rolled Will over, settling him in between his legs. The brief separation made the coming of their bodies together again so intense, they both cried out with pleasure. Through a chorus of passionate sounds, whispered 'I love yous' and heavy, ragged breathing, Sonny ran his hands down Will's back and buttocks, and they each started to feel like they were beginning to come undone.

Taking him by surprise, Will rolled Sonny back over and began kissing down Sonny's chest, around his nipples, dragging his tongue slowly down to his navel. He lingered there for a bit, waiting, teasing Sonny with his tongue. He slowly made his way down Sonny's hips and teased his way across to his throbbing member. Sonny thought his mind exploded when Will took him into his mouth. He felt the tip his member hit the back of Will's throat and he had to use every bit of restraint not to buck his hips wildly into his mouth. Will continued his torture until Sonny couldn't hold it anymore.

_**"Will... WILL! If you don't slow down, I'm going to..."**_ Will looked up with those baby blues and whispered, **_"Cum? Go ahead, cum for me baby."_** and he was back on him. Sonny decided those eyes were going to be his undoing and he surrendered to them. Screaming out Will's name, he shuddered and released until he had no more.

Not even taking time to clean up, Sonny hurriedly pushed Will from his chest, and grabbed a condom and the lube from the night stand. Slightly taken aback by Sonny's impatience, Will lifted Sonny's chin so brown eyes were forced to meet blue.

**_"I love you Will."_** Sonny said simply, **_"and I want this feeling to go on forever. I'm sorry if I'm moving fast; I-I just want to feel you inside of me so badly."_** Will closed his eyes at those words, and Sonny kissed him as he put the condom on Will's member. Will looked down, and watched this amazing man prepare himself for the most sacred act two people can do with each other. Then Sonny laid down on his back, lifted his hips and helped guide Will inside.

Will didn't think that he had ever felt this much intense, unbelievable pleasure in his entire life. He didn't think that pleasure this torturous was possible, but it was. He was inside of Sonny, thrusting in and out, making love with this man he loved and adored, and he was in Heaven.

He felt the tale-tell signs and knew he was so close to the edge, ready to let go and fall off. He increased his pace and shifted slightly to push up into a different spot, and Sonny cried out his encouragement. **_ "Yes, Will, there..."_** Sonny croaked and grabbed Will's hips allowing Will the balance needed to thrust in even deeper. Sonny felt Will start to tremble and couldn't believe that he was feeling that close again too. Will came yelling, **_"I love you Jackson Kiriakis"_** and collapsed onto a sated Sonny. After a minute spent recovering their body control and normal breathing, Sonny giggled **_"Jackson?"_** Will turned an adorable purple as he blushed, which made Sonny giggle even more. **_ "It felt right at the time!"_** Will said as he fake slapped Sonny's buff chest and pouted.**_ "If you don't like my declaration of love, I can take it back."_**

**_"No. No way. Not a chance. I love hearing you say my name...even if it is a name I haven't been called in over 10 years,"_** Sonny grinned and Will leaned down to kiss him once more when the baby monitor filled with cries of Jax. Will smiled, **_"Your turn daddy."_** Sonny smiled and rolled his eyes at Will and got out of bed. **_ "I'll get our baby, you clean up this mess!"_** He mocked as he smacked Will on the butt. Sonny cleaned himself off and put on a pair of boxers and a t-shirt, washed his hands, and happily whistled as he walked into the nursery to grab their beautiful son. Life was indeed perfect!


	11. Chapter 11

I must say, no copyright infringement on anything named in this chapter. I don't own Flash Rosenburg nor Fiari. I did make up the race car driver's names.

Thanks again to Rescuemama2007 for collaborating on another great chapter!

*&()*$#)(*_)#$(+_)#(+_$)(#

**_"I believe humans get a lot done, not because we're smart, but because we have thumbs so we can make coffee~~Flash Rosenburg... Sonny are you kidding me with this?" Will said reading Sonny's newest addition to the kitchen. "We can't put this up, it's...it's... tacky."_** Will said frowning, laying the brightly painted canvassed photo down as if it were unclean, wiping his hands on the kitchen towel and leaning against the counter top.

**_"Will, you do understand that I OWN a coffee shop, right?"_** Sonny said sardonically, walking closer to Will, while holding a sleeping Jax. Will leaned over and brushed a kiss against Jax's soft, strawberry curls.

_**"Yes, dear, I know,"**_ Will looked up from their peaceful baby boy and replied with equal sarcasm. **_ "Trust me, you always smell like coffee, the house often does, and I know far more about coffee than I ever dreamed. However, that doesn't mean that EVERYTHING in our kitchen has to be about coffee...does it?"_** Will added innocently as he batted his eyes, fluttering those baby blues in and out of view. Rolling his eyes and shaking his head, Sonny held up one finger, communicating to his boyfriend that their discussion was definitely not over. But at this specific moment, Sonny needed to get Jax to bed. It was already way past his bedtime, but Sonny just didn't have the heart to let go of him any sooner. Laying his son down, Sonny covered him lightly and kissed him goodnight. Shutting Jax's door almost all the way, he slinked as quietly as possible back into the kitchen where he saw Will still glaring at Sonny's newest choice in home decor.

**_"It's not any different from you having that gaudy racing photo on the wall in the living room,"_**Sonny grumbled as he made sure the baby monitor volume was up high enough and put on his apron to clean the dishes for the night.

Will turned around, still keeping his hands on the counter and let a small smile cross his face **_"Hey, race car driving is a multi-milion dollar corporation that spans the entire country, and a few others I might add. What do you think the Firari was made for - huh?"_** he stopped for the dramatic pause, **_"Speed!"_**

Sonny walked to Will, rested his hands on either side and grabbed the counter top as well. He leaned in, nose to nose with Will and replied**_ "Coffee is a bigger seller and has been around for much longer. Its roots can be traced back to the ancient times."_** He whispered and kissed Will on the lips.

_**"So can alcohol, which I might add is NASCAR's roots, plus, racers are sexier. I could go for any of those guys, Jeff Speed, Tommy Flash..."**_ Will started rattling names off of the top of his head and Sonny feigned shock.

**_"Oh Will, how could I ever compare?"_** He said and leaned in for another kiss. This time, when he tried to pull away, Will grabbed his shoulders and kept him there a few moments longer. Moving his hands slowly from chest to waist, Will reached his final destination and cupped Sonny's butt pulling him flush against his own hips. With desire clad eyes, Will pressed himself into Sonny aggressively, as if to prove his point. **_ "But you, Sonny Kiriakis, are the only one I will ever want or need."_** Sonny's teeth found Will's ear, his jaw, his smooth, warm neck, his supple shoulders and then finally back up to Will's parted, waiting lips.

The couple danced their way into the bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes from the kitchen, down the hallway and into their room. Will's hands tangled in Sonny's thick, dark hair and he inhaled, the smoky, intense smell of coffee lingering on every part of Sonny. Collapsing into bed, they continued to nip and caress and worship each other for hours. When they were sated, Will inhaled once again, taking in all that was Sonny. Chucking to himself, he smiled into Sonny's chest. **_"Ok babe, I give...coffee is better."_** He leaned over, nuzzled Sonny's neck and kissed him, smelling and tasting the wonderful scent of the number one caffeinated beverage of choice mixed with the smell of their recent lovemaking. **_ "Yep,"_** he repeated matter-of-factly,**_ "Coffee is definitely better."_**

The next two mornings were a hustle and bustle of madness. Jax had his first cold. Sonny was trying to get some medicine into him, Will was trying to keep up with the laundry, and poor Jax did not want to be left alone. Diapers, shirts, pants, bibs, were all strewn throughout the apartment. Jax had been throwing up, so just as soon as they would get a load of laundry finished, they would have to dig into it for a fresh set of clothes for Jax. Sonny felt so bad for his baby boy, his fever had reached just over 100 degrees. Will felt so badly for the both of them. Sonny seemed so worried, and Jax just could not be soothed. And to top it all off, neither one had managed to sleep more than an hour at a time as they shared all child care duties.

**_"Will, we should take him in to see Dr. Floyd. I can't seem to get his fever below 100.6."_** Sonny said nervously as he put the back of his hand on baby Jax's forehead. He was walking him back and forth, trying to soothe the crying baby. Sonny tried his best, handing him stuffed animal after stuffed animal to see if maybe his _"loveys"_ would help. Not so much.

**_"No, honey, he just has a cold. Babies run higher fevers than adults do when they're sick. If it gets over 103, then we'll call, deal? Right now, let's just keep doing the pedia-pops to keep the fluids in him. Food will come later. You'll see, he'll be just fine."_** Will sounded just like a pro to a very concerned Sonny. Sonny shifted a lightly snoozing Jax higher onto his shoulder and pulled his blanket up to his chin.

**_"Can we at least call one of our moms to help us Will? I mean look around this place, it's a disaster and we're no closer to getting Jax better and I can't clean if I'm holding him, you can't clean if you're at school..."_** Sonny sounded so overwhelmed at that moment, Will leaned in and put a finger to his lips.

**_"Call your mom if it makes you feel better babe. Maybe then you can get a little bit of rest? Right now, though, I need to head off to Econ class. Should I call and see if Laura can cover you tonight?"_** Will said as he put on his backpack and headed off to the door.

**_"Well, what time do you think you'll be back? Any idea?"_**Sonny asked as he laid a finally sleeping Jax down on the couch and covered him up with the blanket. He picked up a few of Jax's stuffed animals and put them into the toy box.

**_"Let's see,"_** Will grabbed his phone and found today's schedule. **_ "I have class until 4, and then I have a study group at 5. I can skip the study group if you need me to. That's not a big deal."_** Will said as he walked up to Sonny and wrapped his arms around his waist, stilled Sonny's frantic hands and kissed him lightly on the lips.

**_"No, go to your group. I will call mom and then Laura. If that doesn't work, maybe Chad can take a few hours. I really don't want to leave a sick baby with my mom, although she'd probably love it."_** Sonny said with a frown.

_**"Ok, do what you need to do to make you feel better ok babe? I promise, he is fine, keep the fluids in him. Tomorrow we will try bananas, today just juice, water, and pedia-pops."**_ WIll leaned in for another peck**_ "I Love you, Sonny. Our son is going to be just fine."_**

Sonny smiled, looking slightly less worried than before.**_ "I Love you too, Will. Thank you."_**Sonny leaned in for one last peck before Will turned and headed to the door.

**_"You know I will always be there for you two."_** With that he opened the door to head to class and walked right into a tall, auburn haired man who was about to knock on their apartment door. **_"Hello. How can I help you?"_** Will filled the doorway with his body protectively.

**_"Who is it babe?"_** Sonny asked distractedly as he continued to pick clothes and toys up off the floor. Coming over closer to Will, Sonny peered over his shoulder, curious to check out their unexpected guest. Sonny's sharp intake of breath caused Will to snap his head around and raise a hand to Sonny's shoulder.

**_"Are you okay, Sonny?"_** Will watched as his boyfriend's surprise turned from confusion into anger.

**_"Patrick Flynn,"_** Sonny finally breathed out, **_"what are you doing here?"_** Patrick was far from home, and Sonny was immediately suspicious. This man had been both Janice's and Sonny's client. This was a man that Sonny thought - and hoped - he would never see the likes of again. But there he was, plain as day, in the flesh, on Sonny's doorstep with a big nasty grin on his pale pink face.

**_"Jackson, long time, no see."_** He said in his thick Irish accent. Will wanted to get a closer look at this Patrick guy, but he didn't want to take his eyes from Sonny; he was fidgeting and running fingers through his hair, which was a telltale sign of Sonny's extreme discomfort.

Will just stood there stunned. **_"You two know each other?"_**

**_"We do,"_** Patrick chimed in. **_"Would you like to tell this nice young man how we know each other, Jackson? Or should I?"_** and he finished his question with a conspiratorial smile.

**_"No,"_** Sonny cut off his last question abruptly, **_"no way, Patrick. Listen, Will and I have no secrets from each other."_** Sonny squeezed Will's hand that he had unknowingly grabbed. **_"What Will and I tell each other is between us."_** Will squeezed Sonny's hand right back in support and kissed him softly on the cheek. **_"So, let me ask you this once again, Patrick. What in the hell are you doing here?"_**


	12. Chapter 12

**_Thank you to everyone who has read/reviewed/loved/hated/supported and talked about this story. We appreciate everything that you have done and please, continue with the story. Promise, there's MUCH more coming!_**

**_! #( &(*$^ &*($^ ()*#& )(#*_ )(# _#()_)*+)( $&*+)( # )(_**

**_"What am I doing here, you ask?_**_**"**_ Patrick was enjoying the still puzzled look on Will's face and the thoroughly pissed off look on Sonny's. **_"Well, Salem U has been courting me for some time now to teach a month-long seminar for their international business program. Now just seemed like the right time." _**He shrugged and crossed his arms as he looked Will up and down, salivating at the lips. He then shifted his gaze over to Sonny when Sonny began to retort.

**_"Really?_**" Sonny couldn't believe that he was actually going to be teaching at Salem U, where Will was on a daily basis. He knew Patrick was a well-respected Professor of World Finance at University in London, and he also knew that he was a very dangerous man, when double crossed. What he wasn't so sure about was Patrick's timing. _Why now?_ Sonny pushed on, **"Lots of schools around the world want you for lectures and seminars and have for years. What makes our little town of Salem so special that you just couldn't turn them down this time?"** Will had rarely saw Sonny so uptight and angry. Seeing this side of him made Will realize just how terribly Sonny disliked this man. Sonny crossed his arms and leaned in towards Will, taking a protective stance. Despite Will's tendency to lay low and try to keep the peace, he knew that this was one of the times he couldn't sit back and watch. He needed to join Sonny and present a united front against this man.

**_"Mr Flynn, we have a sick baby we were about to take to see a doctor, so if there is something you needed to share with Sonny, it would be preferable if you do it sooner rather than later. We were just on our way out."_**

Patrick looked back and forth from Will to Sonny and clearly saw that though Will was wearing a jacket and his backpack, Sonny was still in flannel pants and a dirty t-shirt. He smirked at them both, letting them know that he wasn't fooled, and his face spread into a smile that made Will's spine crawl. He unintentionally shivered.

**_"Fine,"_** Patrick finally answered abruptly, **_"I will go. But I am going to be around this town for the next month, so you had better get used to seeing more of me."_**

**_"Patrick, that is something I will never, ever get used to again. I much preferred it when you were thousands of miles away and across an ocean. But, I can be civil for the month you are here. Just leave me and my family alone, okay?" _**Sonny stepped in front of Will and moved to shut the door. Before he could close it all the way, Patrick spoke once again.

**_"Oh, and Jackson, you should know that about 2 years ago I received an email from our dear friend Janice."_** He growled out the name _"Janice"_ and Sonny's eyes opened wide in shock, and he yanked the door back open. **_"She said something about being ill...and pregnant. And she told me that there was a chance that I was the father of her baby."_** Patrick dropped his bomb without any warning and snickered as Sonny and Will both gasped audibly.

**_"No way, not possible. It can't be. You used Janice to get to me, and you were nothing but cruel to her. And you weren't very nice to me either. Janice must have been mistaken. There is no way you could be Jax's father. He's far too sweet to have any of you in him."_** Sonny hissed coldly.

Patrick almost smiled, almost looked human for one short moment at the mention of Jax's name. **_"So, she had a boy, hah?"_** Will and Sonny both looked to each other, trying to focus on their anger and not on the slight bit of tenderness they heard in Patrick's voice. **_"Jax. It's nice. Short for Jackson, I'm sure."_** Sonny slowly nodded his answer to the rhetorical question, and then the self-centered, narcissistic, and downright mean Patrick was back. **_"How quaint. A touching sentiment from your bestie, Janice."_**

Sonny snapped his head up at that last mention of Janice's name, and he almost flew outside of the apartment door at Patrick in a rage he didn't know he possessed. **_"Do you not have one ounce of compassion? One iota of kindness? No, I suppose not._**" Sonny answered his own question. **_"My "bestie," as you say, had a really rough year and passed away almost 4 months ago. Please try to show a little respect."_**

Will watched Sonny and saw a flash of sadness and pain cross his face. He quickly shook it off and focused his attention back on Patrick, who was obviously surprised at this news. Will wrapped his arm behind Sonny's back for moral support and courage as the memories began to pass through Sonny's eyes.

**_"She did...actually pass? I - I...Jackson, I am sorry." _**Will cocked his head to the side, wondering how someone could go from being so cold to almost caring in the same sentence.

**_"Mr Flynn, you need to leave now."_** Will asserted sensing both men needed time to process all that had transpired. Will's grip tightened around Sonny's waist as a sneaky smile crawled over Pratick's face.

**_"Okay, you two. I'll leave. But I do intend to find out if what Janice said is right. I'm going to have a paternity test to see if Jax is mine."_** His eyes focused on Sonny only, as if he wanted to be able to see the hurt and devastation in Sonny's eyes when said that. Will took a sharp intake of breath at the threat and by some miracle, Sonny was able to maintain his composure and responded, staring right back, **_"Do what you want, Patrick. Now leave us alone."_**

As Patrick turned his back to them, Will slammed the door shut and locked it for further security. He immediately took Sonny into his arms, who crumbled and would have fallen to the floor had Will not been there to catch him. **_"Oh God, Will...this can't be happening. No, no, no, not him, please he cannot be Jax's biological father."_** Sonny cried openly and clung to Will for dear life.

After his tears subsided, he pulled himself from Will's shoulder and looked into his boyfriend's worried blue eyes.**_ "Don't you need to get to class?"_** Sonny asked, as if suddenly remembering why Will was fully dressed and carrying his school bag. Sonny gave him a sad smile and a small peck on the cheek, almost as if asking him to stay but giving him permission to leave if he needed to.

**_"Nope. No way."_** Will responded firmly. **_"There is no way I'm going to class after that. I am certainly not leaving you alone...or leaving Jax,"_** and Will took Sonny by the hand and led him to the opposite end of the couch where Jax was still peacefully sleeping and wiped away a few wispy curls from his face. Sonny leaned in and gave a small tentative kiss to the sleeping baby as Will knelt in front of him, held both of Sonny's hands in his and stared into Sonny's eyes, which were now clouded and cold. **_"So, how about you start from the beginning. How exactly do you know Patrick Flynn and why would he think he might be Jax's father?"_**

**_******************_**  
**_::flashback::_**

Janice was curled into a tight ball and faced away from the hotel room door when Sonny arrived that night. Running to her side, he saw that her face was unusually red, and though she wasn't crying, she looked like she could been. Sonny also saw something in Janice's eyes he didn't remember ever seeing before - fear. Janice, his strong, bold, warrior best friend was scared. No. She was terrified. Sonny's nostrils flared and his Greek temper exploded. He stood up and face to face started to demand answers from the tall stranger in the corner.

**_"What have you done to her?"_** Sonny spat at the man who sat quietly, observing their every move.

**_"Oh, Jackson,"_** he replied nonchalantly, blowing onto his fingernails and wiping them slowly on his shirt as if he was too good for the both of them. Sonny silently wondered how the stranger knew his name. **_"Well, my "arrangement" with Janice here is a little on the adventurous side. She lets me tie her up, gag her and sometimes even choke her all to enhance our pleasure."_** Janice, who was trying to remain quiet, couldn't help but grunt disapprovingly at the man's last two words. **_"This time, she actually passed out and fell and didn't come to right away. So, naturally, I had to call her dear friend Jackson to come to her rescue."_**

Sonny looked back down at Janice and whispered, **_"Are you okay?" _**She nodded and held out her hand to him for help getting off the bed. Holding her arm to steady her as she rose, Sonny saw the red and purple beginnings of bruises circling her wrists. _**"Janice, why do you let him do this to you?"**_ Sonny was no longer whispering. Janice looked down to her bare feet and took a ragged breath, as if to begin to tell him the tale.

He then heard the man chuckle softly, and respond in a cold, uncaring voice **_"She does it for you, Jackson."_**

Sonny whipped his head around to meet the intense gaze of those dark gray eyes, eyes he knew he could never forget. He silently took a gulp and blinked as if he wasn't sure what the other man was saying. Unable to comprehend the words that were just uttered. He uneasily watched as this man took in every inch of Sonny from head to toe. He lingered on Sonny's chest, his narrow waist, and what might be clothed but is no secret in the tight, form-fitting jeans Sonny wore so well. Glaring at this man, Sonny asked, not looking away, **_"What does he mean Janny?"_** He didn't mean to use the nickname he had for her. He wouldn't put it past this man to try it on her sometime. The thought of Patrick using his term of endearment for his own demented enjoyment made Sonny sick to his stomach.

**_"Sonny,"_** Janice came up behind him, touching his arm so he'd turn around and look at her.**_"Patrick is a client of mine who has expressed interest in becoming one of your clients too."_** She cleared her throat and willed Sonny with her eyes not to freak out. _"As long as I can keep him...satisfied, he stays away from you." _Her normally green eyes, now looking amber with tears and bruising, bore deep into Sonny's soul, and Sonny felt nothing but love for this woman. This woman was protecting him from a sadistic man, and Sonny came to a conclusion. If she loved him so much that she would put herself in jeopardy to protect him, he would do what ever possible to save her.

Sonny, feeling more determined than ever, turned back around and looked at Patrick. **_"He's not your client Janice. Not anymore."_**

**_"No don't you dare, Sonny. I won't let you."_** Janice pleaded with him brokenly. She tried but failed to walk over to Sonny. Her feet were too unsteady to take the steps necessary and she collapsed into Sonny's strong arms. Sonny looked deep into her eyes, begging her silently to follow and trust him as he had always followed and trusted her. She nodded with her eyes. Sonny swallowed and began speaking roughly to them.

**_"And I refuse to let this,_****_"_** he gestured to her wrists,**_ "happen to you ever again. Patrick, what is it you'd like from me? And if we reach agreeable terms, will you promise to leave Janice alone?_****_"_**

Patrick stood from his chair and walked towards the pair. He stopped just inches from Sonny, and the smell of expensive cologne and sex filled his nostrils. A smell that would forever be etched into Sonny's mind and bring him down to his knees with nausea. Patrick offered his hand. **_"You have to tell me what you want before I'll shake on it, Patrick."_** Sonny kept his hands at his side, fighting the urge to ball them into fists and strike the overly confident man. He then saw something change in the man's eyes, something that made him want to back away, to take several steps to put distance between himself and this man he wished they'd never have to see again. But he stayed right there and boldly straightened his shoulders as if to appear larger than he felt, more confident than he felt.

**_"One night, Jackson, that's all I ask. And I believe that one night will turn into more and it won't require nearly as much persuasion."_** He was arrogant, Sonny gave him that. Despite Sonny's immense distaste for this man, he had to admit that Patrick could be eerily charming, as well.

**_"One night? Fine."_** Sonny glanced back at Janice when he said this, and she immediately shifted her eyes to the floor. Turning back to Patrick, he added,**_ "No expectations? No games or adventures planned for this one night?"_** Patrick shook his head slowly. **_"There is one more thing that I require, though, and it's a deal-breaker,"_** Sonny paused to make sure he had Patrick's undivided attention. **_"Whatever you pay Janice, you triple for me. Understood?"_**

Patrick grinned devilishly as he reached out his hand one last time. **_"You have a deal Jackson,"_** his voice husky from being turned on already by this young, beautiful man's bravado. Sonny extended his hand to solidify his deal with the devil.

**_"That was one month before Janice ended up in the emergency room...the night she found out her cancer was most likely terminal and the night she found out she was pregnant with Jax. The very next day my parents flew to London and brought me back to Salem. We never spoke about Patrick again. I think she felt too guilty, and I was too angry. I just couldn't believe she allowed him to treat her like that...I don't care the reason. She didn't deserve that."_** Sonny wiped his nose and cheek with the back of his hand, trying to rid himself of the tears that had just started to fall. He sniffled a bit and went to put his head on Will's shoulder when Will stopped him.

Placing his hands gently on each side of his face, Will looked deeply into Sonny's pain-filled eyes. **_"Nobody deserves what Patrick did to her, and you don't deserve what he did to you either. And you and Janice may never have talked about it, but this never broke you. It never came between the two of you, even after Janice made sure you were miles apart. She loved you, Sonny. And you loved her."_**Will gave a small little nod and Sonny sighed, relief passing over his eyes.

**_"I always will."_** Sonny gave a little smile and closed his eyes, wanting to conjure up a better memory of Janice than the nightmare he just described. Massaging his temples, Will leaned forward and kissed his closed eyelids, his eyebrows, the small bump on his nose and finally brushed his lips against Sonny's. Moving gently, tenderly, they kissed and embraced and consoled. They leaned back, their backs now resting on the couch and deepened the kiss. Will ran his hands through Sonny's hair and down his neck, resting both hands tenderly behind of Sonny's head. Sonny smiled against Will's lips, loving the taste and smell that was unique to Will.

Will broke away first, his hands now tucked in Sonny's hair.**_ "No matter what happens, Sonny, that will never change, okay? But there is one fact that we have to acknowledge whether we like it or not."_**

Sonny shook his head quickly and his eyebrows knitted into a frown, refusing to hear what Will was going to say next. Will took a big breath and swallowed before he continued, **_"We are Jax's 'dadas' now, but outside of knowing that Janice is his biological Mom, up until now we have had no idea at all who his biological Dad might be. I know that you hate the idea that it could be Patrick, but Sonny, one day we may need this information. I hope it never comes to that, but it could be a matter of life or death."_** Both Sonny and Will winced visibly as they let the reality of that statement sink in. **_"No matter the result, we are his Dads and we'll fight with every thing we've got to keep him that way, okay? And we have your dad on our side, plus EJ who are both very gifted lawyers who love us. We also have Janice's will and you were her business partner. We will fight this if it comes to it, okay?"_**

**_"Okay, Will, thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you." _**Sonny said and Will noticed how down and depressed Sonny was sounding. He put his hand under Sonny's chin and lifted his face up. He gave Sonny a tentative kiss and smiled.

**_"Thankfully you'll never have to find out,"_** and Will kissed him one more time before getting up. **_"I'm going to put Jax in his bed; he'll be more comfortable there, and we'll be able to hear him just fine on the baby monitor. You sit, relax, and don't you dare try to clean, mister. I'm going to make you a cup of coffee, I'm going to throw a load of laundry in, and then I'm going to snuggle on the couch with my amazingly handsome and wonderful boyfriend. How does that sound?"_** Will winked and picked Jax up gently from the couch.

**_"That sounds perfect, Will. I love you so much."_** Sonny lifted himself from the couch just enough to place a kiss on Jax's now cooler forehead and smiled at that. _"Will was right about the fever and he is going to be alright"_ Sonny thought. _"One thing has gone right for me today, I have recovering baby and an amazing boyfriend." _Will, noticing the change in Sonny the second he saw their nasally, snoring child, smiled right back at him.

**_"I love you, too, Sonny,"_** Will replied as he headed down the hall into Jax's room. **_"And we love you buddy,"_** Will whispered into Jax's hair, **_"and we are never ever letting you go. Don't worry, little man, you are stuck with us forever."_**


	13. Chapter 13

Sonny stared worriedly at his laptop, constantly looking up Jax's symptoms, diagnosing him with everything from the common cold to life threatening illnesses.

**_"Will, his fever was down last night but now it's back up today. His temp keeps fluctuating, and he's pulling on his ears. You know how much he loves juice in his sippy cup? He won't even take that or a bottle. I think it hurts for him to suck on them."_** Sonny stood up from the computer and lifted a cranky Jax from his play-pen. He bounced him slowly up and down as he walked around the living room, cooing, talking softly hoping to help soothe his baby's painful whimpers. **_ "I've been researching all day and according to what I'm seeing, I think he has an ear infection. So, can we take him in now?"_** He posed it as a question, but Will was sure he didn't really mean it as one. The only way to pacify Sonny, Will knew without a doubt, meant taking Jax to the doctor today and confirming his suspicions.

**_ "My siblings never had ear infections, so I'm sorry I don't really know, Sonny,"_** Will said as his eyebrows furrowed together as if he were deep in thought. **_"I do think it's common for babies to have them, so I suppose 2 year-olds get them, too."_** Will tilted his head and propped his chin in the heel of his hand. **_ "You'll only feel better, though, if you take him to see the doctor. Am I right?"_** Will stood up, came behind Sonny and placed a small kiss on the nape of his neck. He wrapped his arms around Sonny and Jax and rested his head on his shoulder.

**_ "You know me too well."_** Sonny replied with immense relief, rocking Jax back and forth, while rolling his head back, rubbing his cheek against Will's. **_"We'll get you looked at today, okay buddy?"_** he whispered as he reached across Sonny's waist and rubbed his hands over Jax's forehead and settled his hand onto the top of his head. They both watched Jax as his eyes started to drift shut and smile in relief.

**_ "I will make an appointment for him this afternoon."_**Will spoke softly into Sonny's ear. **_ "Now, you go lay down and take a nap while I call the doctor's office and try to clean up this place."_** Sonny turned in Will's arms so that he was facing him and immediately started to protest. Will placed a single finger to Sonny's lips and stilled him. **_"No arguing. Go nap."_** Will gave Sonny a stern look and lifted Jax, who was quiet for the first time in hours, from his embrace. Sonny reluctantly let his sweet baby go and pecked Will on the cheek. He sulked off into their bedroom to try to settle down for an hour or so while Will took care of Jax and making the appointment for him. Will smiled and looked around the small apartment, feeling a little overwhelmed at the amount of baby things that were all over the apartment. There was food on the wall, carpet, each other, table and the door of all places. He saw toys and blankets on the couch, the kitchen table, coffee table and Will's smile faded a little and he took a deep breath, laid Jax down and began to straighten up.

An hour later, Will held a screaming, restless Jax in his arms, trying his best to calm him and avoid waking up Sonny. Jax's helpless cries were like a thousand bells going off inside of his brain, and he wanted so badly to make them stop. Sonny had finally fallen asleep, out of sheer exhaustion, Will was sure, but despite how soundly he slept now, Will knew he wouldn't stay that way if Jax continued at this volume. Starting to sing, Will walked with Jax in his arms, until once again their little boy had cried himself back to sleep. Will laid him carefully back in his play-pen and brushed the tears away that still clung to his rosy cheeks.

Will finished tidying up the living room, trying to do so without disturbing the rest of his sleeping household. Will was worried about how over-protective Sonny had become. And quite frankly, he couldn't blame him. Ever since Patrick Flynn showed up at their door, Sonny was very anxious and almost refused to let anyone else hold Jax. Because of this, Will was sure neither one of them had really slept in the last 3 days.

After checking on Jax, who was by some miracle still sleeping, Will walked back into their bedroom to check on his snoozing boyfriend. The appointment was in a little over an hour, and he knew that Sonny would want to be the one to take him. Plus, Will hadn't been in class in 2 days, so he wanted to make it to his Economics II class at least once this week. Will sat down on the edge of the bed and felt an overwhelming flow of love for this man rush over him. This gorgeous, tall, dark man with chocolate brown eyes filled his heart with a joy unimaginable. Will smiled with a few tears in his eyes and leaned in to kiss Sonny on the forehead. He rubbed his hands through Sonny's hair and whispered gently, **_"Hey, wake up sleepy head,"_** and he kissed him once more, this time on the nose.

Sonny yawned and stretched, rolled over a bit and came face to face with the most handsome, strikingly rugged man he had ever laid eyes on; and his face broke into a smile that made Will feel weak in the knees.

**_ "We have an appointment for our little terror yet?"_** Sonny jokingly said as he leaned up to steal another kiss from Will's plump, waiting lips.

**_"In an hour,"_** Will responded and laid down to snuggle for a moment with Sonny. He loved the feel of Sonny's rock hard body under his head, and he counted the heart beats, one at a time, convinced that Sonny's heart beat only for him. **_ "And I have class in an hour and a half, and I'd really like to go. Can you manage Dr. Floyd alone? Or do you want me to call your mom?"_** Will asked, unsure of how Sonny would take the news that he wanted to go to school and miss out on Jax's appointment.

**_ "I think I can handle it. If there's anything major, I'll call, so can you keep your phone on vibrate please?"_** An anxious Sonny asked.

**_ "Anything for you, my love."_** Will said and kissed the tip of Sonny's nose. **_ "I was able to clean just a little, and everything is packed and ready for you. Why don't you shower first, and I will try to soothe little man for a few more minutes. Sound good?"_** Will said as he trailed kisses from Sonny's jaw line, down his neck and settled onto his collar bone. He lingered there a few moments as his hands played in Sonny's hair and he was pushed back down onto the bed.

Sonny's head rolled over to the side and he smiled, **_"Mmmmm keep doing that and we'll both be late."_** Will grinned, kissed Sonny one last time and started to stand up when Sonny pulled him back, face to face. **_"Will, you make everything alright. I love you."_**

Will smiled and replied without hesitation, **_"I love you too, Sonny."_**

**_ $*&#()*$&()#*%&)$(*%+_$%*(_$+(%)$+_%()$_%*_**

Will walked out of his Economics II class and was heading for Business Law when he heard his name being faintly called from across the courtyard. He didn't completely recognize the voice, so he shrugged it off as someone else with the same name being summoned. Slinging his backpack onto his shoulders, he continued walking toward the destination of his next class.

The voice continued to get closer and closer. Will, recognizing it wasn't stopping, turned around to see who was calling his name. Much to his chagrin, he was met with the serious and slightly flushed face of Patrick Flynn.

Will swallowed down his anger and nodded a greeting. **_"Mr. Flynn."_** He pulled his hands up on either side of the straps on his backpack, anticipating what might come out of Patrick's mouth. Will shifted his stance a bit, trying not to come across as too angry or intimidated by the man. Patrick's eyes bore fire into Will's, and he growled out his arrogant response.

**_ "It's Dr. Flynn while we're here Mr. Horton, you should show respect for a tenured professor."_**He smiled in such a frightening way that it reminded Will of the Grinch. Right down to the the nasty stubble on the chin, Will just couldn't stop picturing him in green, stealing Christmas gifts from innocent little children. For the first time, Will noticed blotches on his skin as he stared at him. They made him look dirty and even more evil. Will almost shivered in disgust.

**_ "Dr. Flynn, what may I have the honor of doing for you?"_** Will mocked, which only made Patrick even angrier. He took another step towards Will, which instantly made Will step back in extreme discomfort. He sniggered again, causing Will to take a second step backwards.

Patrick advanced one more time, just to show Will he was the Alpha in the situation. **_"Make sure your boyfriend is available this evening. I will be coming by to talk about mini-Jackson and getting that paternity test._**"

Will's eyes filled with rage and he advanced forward, closing the gap and catching Patrick completely off-guard. **_ "You can come by if you want to, but you are not welcome in our home, so don't even bother knocking on the door. Jax is sick and you will NOT scare him like you did the other day."_** Will's eyes continued to hold Patrick's, until Patrick blinked and looked away. **_"As far as Sonny is concerned, stay away from him. He's not that inexperienced, scared little boy you knew back in England, and to be perfectly honest, Dr. Flynn,"_** Will enunciated his name in such a way that made Patrick realize his stunt to scare him had failed. **_"Neither one of us are scared of you. So, do your month...and leave."_**With that, Will turned quickly from Patrick, using every bit of courage he had to walk away from the most demonstrative and pompous man he'd ever met.

**_"William Horton, you have just made yourself an enemy."_**Patrick said as he pulled his cell phone from his top jacket pocket and dialed that all too familiar number.

**_%*#&*($&#_*$_#()$*_#)(+_$%)(+_)($_#))$#+_$+#_(%$+)_**

Will walked into the apartment, dropped his backpack and headed into the kitchen to find a very happy, smiling Jax and a very food-covered, unhappy Sonny. Will chuckled a little and said to Jax, **_"Did you throw your food at dada? Huh? Did you? Did you?"_** Jax squealed with happiness and bounced in his seat at the faces Will was making at him.

**_"Sonny,"_** Will said attempting unsuccessfully to avoid laughing at the state he was in. The sweet potatoes Sonny had fixed for Jax were in his hair and all over his shirt. He must have tried peas, too, as Will noticed a bit of green on Sonny's arm and pants. **_ "So, what did the doctor say about this gorgeous little man here?"_** He pinched Jax's little cheeks as he spoke.

**_"He said what I thought, he has a double ear infection. Both ear drums were really red and recommended we start him on antibiotics. I got a dose in him, his fever dropped, and he's back to his usual spit-fire self,"_** he paused to take a deep breath. **_ "Covered me with his food as a means to amuse himself."_**

Will walked to the sink trying to hide his smirk and picked up the already soiled cloth. He rinsed it off, rung out the excess water and began to wipe some of the food from Sonny's face. Sonny gave a sympathy pout and Will smiled softly as he delicately kissed Sonny on his cheek, then his eye lids, down to his nose, until his trail of kisses found his destination, Sonny's mouth. Jax was happily in the background singing,**_ "Dada kiss dada Dill...Dada kiss dada Dill"_** Sonny came up for air and answered, **_"Yes, dada kiss dada Will,"_** and proceeded to do that several more times.

Will smiled into Sonny's lips and said, **_"Why don't you go get cleaned up. I'll finish here."_**Will's hands snaked behind Sonny's back and pulled their hips closer to each other. Sonny could feel the bulge of Will's erection through the thin material of his _pants._ **_"When we get this little man to bed, how about I put you to bed?"_**

Sonny's eyes began to smoke over with desire and he swallowed roughly, his own arousal becoming harder to hide. **_"Sounds like a plan."_** Sonny leaned in for another kiss when the doorbell rang. His eyes quickly shot to the door and back to Will, and he swore angrily under his breath. Will dropped his head onto Sonny's shoulder, forehead to his neck.

**_"Don't answer that Sonny. Patrick caught up to me at school and wanted to come by tonight. When I told him where to shove that idea, he threatened to take us to court."_** The doorbell rang a second time. **_ "He's persistent isn't he?"_** Sonny nodded and headed to the door.

**_"Like it or not Will, we're going to have to talk to him eventually. Might as well do it dressed like my feelings for him, old, smelly, and covered with food and puke."_** Sonny smiled as he pulled out the tails of his shirt as if to further prove his point.

**_"I'm sorry Sonny. I forgot to tell you. I just got so caught up in how Jax was doing it slipped my mind._**"

**_"I know Will, but in the future, please tell me about these meetings as soon as possible."_** The doorbell rang a third time. **_"Alright, I'm coming."_** Sonny yelled towards the door. _"Damn!"_ he swore to himself, _"Give me time to move across the kitchen will ya?!"_

Sonny opened the door to an extremely perturbed Patrick Flynn. **_ "Patrick, to what do I owe this unpleasant yet not totally unexpected visit?"_**

Will eyed the professor, trying to gauge his reaction as he picked up Jax. **_"Come on buddy, let's get you all washed up,"_** and he headed out of the kitchen into the bathroom, removing Jax entirely from Patrick's sight.

**_"How long are you planning to keep me away from that child?"_** Patrick spewed as he tried to push his way into the small apartment and pointed angrily in the direction of Will and Jax. **_ "And when do you plan on agreeing to a paternity test? You know it will happen eventually, so why don't you stop fighting it. You know you wont win."_** Patrick went to push passed Sonny, but Sonny's eyes filled with venom and he took a more protective stance over his home and his family. He stood up taller and put his hands on his hips and took a few aggressive steps towards the older man.

**_"How about...Never? Now Patrick, kindly leave my home before I call the police and have you removed."_**

**_"My my my Sonny, how you have grown. You think you can beat me? You couldn't in England,"_** Sonny's eyes flickered momentarily seeing snippets of those awful memories,**_ "and you can't now. Don't ever forget what you promised me back then Sonny, because it may just come back to haunt you."_** Patrick's nostrils flared and he sneered at Sonny as he looked him up and down hungrily. When he realized Sonny wasn't going to relent, he growled threateningly,**_ "Then expect to hear from my lawyer."_**

Patrick hadn't even turned to leave when he heard Sonny, confident and strong, **_"I'll do that, Patrick,"_** and the door slammed in his face.


	14. Chapter 14

Warning, this chapter deals with some dark themes. If you are under 16, please skip ahead to the next chapter. You may need some tissues as well, so grab those. We would like to thank all of you for following this chapter and responding so kindly to it. Rescuemama2007 and I are having such a fun time collaborating with each other, and love this story with our hearts. Thank you for supporting us!

**~~~~~Flashback~~~~~**

_**"One night? Fine."** _Sonny glanced back at Janice when he said this, and she immediately shifted her eyes to the floor. Turning back to Patrick, he added,**_ "No expectations? No games or adventures planned for this one night?"_** Patrick shook his head slowly. **"There is one more thing that I require, though, and it's a deal-breaker,"** Sonny paused to make sure he had Patrick's undivided attention.**_ "Whatever you pay Janice, you triple for me. Understood?"_**

Patrick grinned devilishly as he reached out his hand one last time.**_ "You have a deal Jackson,"_ **his voice husky from being turned on already by this young, beautiful man's bravado. Sonny extended his hand to solidify his deal with the devil.

Patrick began to leave, but at the last moment he turned to look at Sonny; His profound gaze struck fear into the soul of the adolescent man.**_ "Do not think you can go back on our deal the minute I walk out Jackson. I know where to find your precious 'Janny' and you won't recognize her when I'm finished with her, that's a promise."_** He seethed and blew a menacing kiss to the nothingness between them. Without giving Janice or Sonny a second look, Patrick opened the door and left just as nasty as he came.

Rushing back to where Janice had crumbled, Sonny leaned down and offered his hands to help her stand. She took them and unsteadily regained her footing. Once she was finally coordinated and under her own control, she wrapped her fragile arms around Sonny's neck and sobbed onto his shoulder. Sonny slipped his arms under her legs and scooped her up, walked over to the bed, sat her down as gently as he could and wiped a stray tendril of hair from her face.

**_"Janny, what did he do to you?"_** Sonny whispered as his hands slid from her hair framing her pale, ivory face. **_"What did he do to cause these bruises?"_** He nodded his head towards her arms, his eyes shifted to her wrists, and back to her eyes. It was then that he noticed her typically vibrant green eyes were now more of a ruddy hazel, darkened by the night's happenings. His eyebrows furrowed, and he swallowed, fighting down the rage he knew was coming.

Having a chance to catch her breath, she sighed heavily and tucked her hair behind her ears. **_"Patrick is sick, rotten and twisted. He's head of this, this - sleazy group of men that target people like us Son, for their demented pleasures. Most are married to high-classed women, but they use us to play out scenarios that their wives refuse to do. Had I known, I would have added an S & M clause into my contract, but I didn't. By the time I did find out, it was too late. And I had no choice but to comply."_** She said and looked down at her hands, fidgeting with the band she wore on the ring finger of her right hand. Not able to meet Sonny's eyes, she stayed quiet and subconsciously started rubbing her hands up and down her arms as she shivered. Sonny noticed her body tremble and covered her with the night-dress that was laying behind her on the bed. Pulling her into his side, he brought her close. At first Janice stiffened at the gesture, but then remembering that this was her Sonny, her best friend and gentle soul, she let herself relax against him. Wrapping an arm around his torso, Janice waited out the sudden silence that had taken over the room. She knew Sonny would have to know everything. His questions would not go unanswered. Despite her certainty, Janice silently begged him not to ask again.

**_"You need to tell me what he did to you tonight, Jan."_** It was no longer a question, it was a demand. She knew that when he called her 'Jan' he was being a big brother, and he was in full-on protector mode now. She wouldn't be able to stop his questions until he had what he wanted, and what he wanted now was her truth. She pulled back from him a little, took in another ragged breath and began the tale.

**_"The second time we were together, he tied me to the bedpost, and he started thrusting down my throat."_** She shook her head at the memory.**_ "I really didn't know what was happening, it happened so fast. One minute he was in my throat, the next minute he cut my arm with something sharp. I don't know what it was Son, and I didn't expect it. It was so different from the first time we were together. I couldn't cry out because I could barely breathe. He just continued and laughed when I tried to free myself. Finally, when it was all over, he pushed me away and I thought I'd never have to see him again,"_** she paused and took another unsteady breath.

Rubbing small, soft circles on Janice's back, Sonny coaxed her to go on. Meeting his eyes finally, she was able to draw strength from the determination she saw etched into his features. She started again, her voice steady, **_"Until tonight. I was surprised to get a call from him, and I knew if I turned him away, we'd lose a lot more clients than just him. So I met him here. But tonight he didn't want me Son, he wanted you. When I refused to call you, he grabbed my hair and pulled it so roughly, I thought he would rip it right out of my scalp."_** She paused and willed the tears not to fall.**_ "He threw me onto the bed, Sonny, and h-he raped me."_** She tried to lighten the mood but broke down instead, collapsing, bawling into Sonny's strong chest.**_ "The whole time,"_** she sniffled out brokenly, "**_he kept calling me 'Jackson.' He wants you Sonny, and you have to stay away from him."_** She looked up from his shoulder and placed a hand underneath Sonny's chin, holding him there firmly.**_ "Promise me that you'll back out of this, Son. Promise me that you won't meet him. Ever."_**

**_~~~~~Back to present~~~~~_**

**_"Sonny?"_ **Will called.**_ "Earth to Sonny."_** He said and snapped his fingers a few times in front of Sonny's face for effect. Sonny shook his head, and Will could see the haze slowly clear from Sonny's brown eyes.**_ "Where were you just now babe?"_** Will asked as he slid the chain secure in its place and bolted the door. He turned to face Sonny, waiting patiently for a response.

Sonny shook the rest of the painful memories off and smiled,**_ "Sorry, I was just,"_** he paused, not sure of how much to tell Will, but shaking his head a bit, trying to shake the memory away. **_"I was just remembering a conversation I had with Janice a long time ago, that's all."_** He walked quickly past Will and headed back into the kitchen.

Will grunted and followed him. **_"Nut uh! You're not getting off that easy. I can see it all over your face. Whatever you were thinking about was not pleasant. Patrick has really done a number on you hasn't he?"_** Will leaned his back against the kitchen counter top and crossed his arms. Seeing that Sonny needed to clear his head for a few more moments he gave him a brief break.**_ "Sonny, can you talk about it, or do you need more time?"_** Will asked with sincerity, tilting his head to the side awaiting the answer he had a feeling was coming.

**_"Tomorrow. Not tonight. I need to get these dishes washed, I need to put in a load of laundry and disinfect the whole apartment, you know since Jax has been so sick. Plus, we hardly have food in this place...we need to make a grocery list so I can shop on the way home from work tomorrow."_** Sonny was rambling and he knew it. But he didn't know what else to say. He had so much to tell and yet for some reason, he couldn't make himself say any of it. Hanging his head in shame and frustration, he soon felt Will's arms wrap around his waist and pull him into his chest.

**_"It's okay, Son,"_** Will whispered, gently, resting his head against his. They stood there for several minutes, enjoying their closeness. Feeling the depth of Will's love for him, Sonny turned around to face him, and the tears that he was willing not to fall, finally fell.

**_"Patrick hurt her, Will. He broke her, in such a way that she never fully recovered. She lost her will to live, she lost that light in her eyes, and he's the reason she eventually sent me away."_** He closed his eyes and let the last few tears escape, and Will pulled him in even closer._** "I can only imagine that once she found out she was pregnant, she knew she had to make some serious changes in her life. I know without a doubt that she stayed alive as long as she did because of Jax. That precious little baby in there was her salvation, and we have to do everything in our power to protect him from that bastard."**_

Will continued to hold Sonny as tightly as he could and kissed his tears as they started falling once again. **_"We will protect him babe, we will. I promise, if it's the last thing I do, I will make sure that baby is safe."_**

Sonny looked up, gazed into Will's eyes and knew that he was telling the truth. And in that moment Sonny wanted nothing more than to be completely enveloped in Will's arms, bodies pressed tightly together, moving as one. He needed Will to remind him that he was loved unconditionally, that being intimate with someone could be beautiful and fulfilling, and far from the controlling, degrading abuse both he and Janice suffered at the hands of Patrick.

**_"Make love to me Will. I just really need to feel you tonight, babe."_** Sonny pleaded with his eyes. Nodding his head, Will took his hand and led him into the bedroom. That night, the duo made love. They took their time, they explored each other's bodies and for the first time since they met, they felt their connection become an unbreakable bond. They moved in tandem, they were so connected that they each knew inherently what the other wanted and gave it willingly and generously. Sonny had never felt more vulnerable and yet he felt so completely protected by Will's love.

**_~~~~ Sonny's Dream~~~~~_**

He is alone in a dark alley. He looks left then right and can't seem to get his barring; No landmarks that he could recognize as he looks around frantically trying to find his family. He hears something in the distance, it sounds like a baby crying. **_"Jax!"_** His mind immediately recognizes that cry. He looks around, desperately trying to find where it was coming from. **_"Jaxy baby!_**" He calls again. He didn't know where he was, he was so confused. The blackness starts spinning, spiraling out of control. He holds his hands up, trying to catch his balance, willing himself not to black out. The only thing he knows for certain, at this moment, is that Jax is crying. He suddenly looks up and what he sees glues him to the spot. Patrick is holding Jax precariously over the ledge of a building by his little baby arms. Jax's chubby legs are flailing, and he is screaming **_"Dada! Bad man!"_** He watches as Patrick let's go of Jax, and he couldn't move as he watched Patrick's head rolls back, releasing a powerful, menacing laugh. It is the type of laughter that haunts even the vilest of men's dreams. **_"Hahahahahaha."_** He hears it echo in his head; it bounces around as if on repeat. Could this man really be so cruel that he'd take the life of an innocent child? Sonny lets out a bloodcurdling, gut-wrenching scream as he realizes Jax is now falling, helplessly down to the unforgiving Earth. His world spins uncontrollably into darkness. Just as Jax nears the ground, Sonny is jolted from his nightmare.

**_"Jax!"_** Sonny screamed as he sat up in bed, panting, gasping for air. Will, shaken awake by Sonny's sudden outburst, sat up and put a reassuring hand on Sonny's back. They sat completely still for a few moments.

**_"Do you wanna talk about it?_**" He whispered to the trembling man beside him.

**_"No, I want to go see Jax. I need to see that he's ok."_** Sonny said as he all but ran out of the bedroom into Jax's nursery. He looked inside of the crib, seeing Jax was happily sleeping undisturbed; He leaned in and gave him a small kiss on the forehead.**_ "He will NEVER get you Jax, I promise you. You will never have to worry about that man. If it's the last thing I do, I will protect you."_** He leaned in and gave Jax another small kiss on the cheek and walked back into his bedroom.

**_"Let me catch my breath Will, and then we can talk about it."_ **Seeing Will's understanding smile, Sonny left to splash some cold water on his face. Feeling slightly refreshed and relieved, Sonny slowly got back into bed and snuggled in beside Will.

**_"It's ok Sonny, I know you need a little more time. Let me make you a cup of warm milk or chamomile tea and see if that will relax you enough to sleep again."_** Will went to stand up when Sonny stilled him.

**_"Please Will, just stay. I don't need milk or tea, I just need you, Will."_** Will laid back down and snuggled into Sonny's warm, protective embrace.

**_"You have me Sonny, every day for the rest of our lives, you have me."_ **They settled in completely, arms and legs intertwined, their heads sharing the same pillow. Just as Will thought that Sonny's breathing had steadied enough that he might be able to sleep again, he heard Sonny whisper through the darkness.

**_"Remember when I told you earlier that he broke her? Well, in my naïve attempt to keep him away from Janice, I agreed to one night with him. That's all he said he wanted. And I-I thought I could handle it if it meant he wouldn't bother Janice ever again."_** He paused, and Will brought each of Sonny's hands to his lips and kissed them gently. He needed Sonny to know that he was there, supporting him, loving him, and that he could continue at his own pace.**_ "I should have listened to Janice, Will. I should have promised like she asked to. I was head-strong and stubborn, and I went out with Patrick anyway. All along I thought I had the upper hand,"_** he chuckled regretfully,**_ "but Patrick knew exactly what to do to hurt me the most. And he eventually broke me, too. And it cost me more than you could ever know"_**

**_"But you aren't broken, Sonny. You are one of the strongest, most courageous people I know."_**

**_"Now, maybe. Not back then. I was seriously damaged, Will, and it took me quite a while to recover. When I came back to America with my parents, I still couldn't talk about it. I still don't know how much I can tell you right now."_ **Will shifted slightly and tried to stifle a yawn.**_ "I'm sorry, Will, I'm keeping you awake. We can talk about this tomorrow...you need to sleep."_**

**_"No,"_** Will responded without hesitation. _**"I'm awake, and if you need to talk, I'm here to listen. No matter how long it takes."**_

**_"Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you."_**

_**"You're welcome. I told you, I love you and Jax with all my heart, so I'm not going anywhere."** _Sonny leaned in to kiss Will tenderly on the lips, lingering a little and pressing his forehead to Will's. He wrapped his arms around Will, as if hanging on for dear life.

**_"I love you, too,"_** Will said as he propped his chin up in his hand. **_"Just take a breath baby,relax and let it come. If you can't tell the whole story tonight, the rest will come when it's ready to."_** Will said. Sonny thought a few moments, shifted his eyes back up to Will's and started his truth.**_ "That night, th-the night of my date with Patrick, I planned everything out so carefully - what I wanted to wear, the cologne I would put on, how long I had to stay after, how I would act towards him."_ ** Sonny was no longer looking into Will's eyes, but into the memory. Will then noticed he was talking with his hands, something Will knew he did when he was nervous. **_"We__ met in the lobby of the hotel, and he took me back to his room. I walked in and Patrick immediately presented me with a hanger, the clothes hanging from it covered in plastic. I must have looked really puzzled because he jumped right in to explain. He told me that we were going out for dinner first. He was taking me to La Belle Vie, a really fancy and expensive French restaurant, and they had a dress code that he wanted me to follow to the "T". He told me I could change in the bathroom if that made me more comfortable. I pulled off the plastic and I saw a beautiful pair of black pants and matching jacket, a lavender oxford, dark socks and brand new pair of Salvatore Ferragamo loafers. Everything was in my exact size and fit perfectly. I'm not sure how he arranged all of that, but suffice it to say that I was mildly impressed."_**

**_"Wow, Sonny. You must have been shocked!"_**Will interrupted, but silenced himself when Sonny smiled a sad smile.

**_"Completely caught off guard. We walked across the street to the restaurant, and he opened the door for me and the host led us right back to our table. After taking our drink order, Patrick leaned in towards me, and I wasn't sure what he expected. He told me in a softer voice that he knew that I had lived in Paris for several years and had taken a liking to French cuisine. Since we both had to eat, why not do so somewhere nice? He apologized for how he acted the night I came for Janice at his hotel; He said something like 'I know you don't think highly of me, Jackson, but deep down, I want to be a decent, kind man. I don't want to hurt people, even though I usually do. But you make me feel calm, Jackson, you make me want to stop to enjoy things I normally take for granted.' That surprised the hell out of me. And that was only the beginning of Patrick's surprises."_**


	15. Chapter 15

_**Warning, this chapter picks up from where we left off in the conversation between Will and Sonny. It does, again, have dark themes, and sexual references. Please be aware. It's not as explicit, but be warned.**_

_**&^*&#^$*#)($*#)($+#_$(#+_$)#+_#)+$_(#_$)(#+_Q$(#+)**_

_**"He apologized for how he acted the night I came for Janice at his hotel; He said something like 'I know you don't think highly of me, Jackson, but deep down, I want to be a decent, kind man. I don't want to hurt people, even though I usually do. But you make me feel calm, you make me want to stop to enjoy things I would normally take for granted.' That surprised the hell out of me. And that was only the beginning of Patrick's surprises."**_

**_"Okay, so how did the rest of the dinner go?"_** Will asked tentatively but curiously. Will pulled Sonny closer as Sonny laid his tired head on Will's accepting chest and took a deep breath, inhaling all that was Will.

**_"It was...fine. We ordered, we ate and all the while I pretty much stayed quiet. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the food, I just wanted the night to be over. He was prolonging the inevitable, and I really just wanted to be rid of Patrick for good." _** Sonny shifted and sat up, bringing his legs in towards his body so that he was sitting cross-legged, on his side of the bed. Will remained laying down, giving Sonny the space he needed to tell his story.

_"Patrick tried to engage me in conversation all night, but I wasn't having it. The man hurt Janice! So, it didn't matter how much he spent on my fancy new outfit or our wonderful French dinner, I still hated him." _Sonny pulled a disgusted angry face as he spat out his feelings for the older disturbing man who was Patrick Flynn.

**_"And you still hate him now, Sonny." _** Will nodded as to convey this as a statement of the obvious instead of a question.

**_"Yes, I do. But there was a short moment in time, when he actually appeared to be human, so much so, that I let myself like him just a little."_**

**_~~~~~flashback~~~~~_**

**_"Are you enjoying your dinner, Jackson?"_** Patrick inquired, seeing only a small part of Sonny's meal eaten. Sonny laid his fork down on the table and delicately wiped his mouth with the linen cloth. He placed it back into his lap and looked up to Patrick.

**_"Yes, it is quite good. It's just very rich, and I'm starting to get full."_** The truth was that Sonny didn't have much of an appetite. Spending time with a man who had raped his best friend tended to make him more sick than hungry. He laid his hands in his lap and began to study the features on the wall behind Patrick, memorizing each brick and painting he laid his eyes on. Sonny was brought back to his date when Patrick began talking again.

**_"Don't let yourself get too full,"_** Patrick said politely,** "because they have some of the most wonderful French pastries on their dessert menu. I want you to taste their croissants, they are just as delicious as the ones I get at my favorite bakery, Boulangerie la Beurre, in Paris." **Sonny wasn't sure he understood fully what Patrick had just said, but that bakery was the best in the world, and he would do anything to visit it one more time._** "I'm sorry,"**_ Sonny had to stop and have Patrick repeat himself, **_"what did you say was your favorite bakery?"_**

**_"Boulangerie la Beurre, why?"_**

He must know, thought Sonny. He somehow found out, maybe from Janice, maybe from the same person he talked to about how much Sonny loved French food. Sonny swallowed and spoke slowly, allowing a slow smile cross his face,**_"It's, it's just a place I visited a lot when I lived there."_**

**_"Wow," _**Patrick stated simply, seeming genuinely surprised. **_ "Most prefer their croissants made with margarine; they say it makes them lighter, fluffier. But I will always choose butter. Especially the French butter they use - fresh, organic, exquisite. It may not be as light, but the taste is perfection."_**

**_"Yeah,"_** was all Sonny could manage to get out. He was in a state of pure shock, staring at the man sitting across from him. It was just far too coincidental that he would bring up the very same bakery he and Janice used to go to _AND_ point out something as specific as the butter they use. He and Janice had both agreed that it was what set this bakery apart from all the others in Paris.

_**"Jackson, are you okay?"** _Patrick asked as he leaned forward, resting his chin on his long skinny hand.

_**"Yes. But I have to give you credit, Patrick. You are good. Really good. To find out so much about me and use it to your advantage, that is very smart. I almost fell for it."**_ Sonny lifted his eyes from his hands and met Patrick's steely eyes with a hard stare.

**_"I'm sorry, Jackson, I'm not sure what you mean. What is bothering you so much about what I said?"_** He sounded genuine. Did he truly not know?

_**"Patrick, quit playing dumb. You got some good intel from someone, that's for sure, to know how much I like French food and to drop into conversation the name of the favorite bakery I liked to go to with Janice."** _Sonny's voice became dangerously low as he attempted to convey to him his distaste for Patrick's ruthless tactics.

Patrick's eyes opened widely in surprise. He started to speak, but stopped suddenly, shaking his head. _**"You are going to believe what you want, Jackson. So, if it makes things easier for you to assume that everything I've said and done tonight is just a means to manipulate you, then there's nothing I can do to change that." **_ He looked down at his plate, and Sonny thought he almost saw a look of sadness or defeat soften his hard features. No, thought Sonny to himself, it's all just a part of his plan. His plan to suck Sonny into this world of madness that Janice had the misfortune of being a part of, a world he was warned to stay away from. But there was something about the way Patrick's facial features had softened that made Sonny second guess what he thought to be the truth.

Patrick ordered chocolate croissants and coffee after their dinner was cleared. He told Sonny that if he didn't want to eat it here, that he could take it home with him. It was just too good to pass up.

Sonny picked a little at his croissant and then asked for a box for the rest. Their server brought one box over and at the same time both Patrick and Sonny reached for it. **_ "I'll do this for you, Jackson,"_** he said firmly, to which Sonny replied tersely, "_**No thank you, I can do it myself."**_ Just as Patrick released the box, Sonny pulled harder, expecting more of a battle, and the force of his movement knocked over the remainder of Patrick's coffee. Sonny watched the dark liquid slink down the tablecloth and fall directly onto Patrick's expensive, black pants.

**_"Ouch,"_** Patrick said a little loudly, **"that's quite warm." **Patrick backed his seat away from the table quickly and began to wipe at the spilled drink with his silky red napkin. He tucked his tie into his shirt and stood up to wipe harder, pulling his pants away from his leg as it was beginning to slightly burn.

**_"I'm so sorry, Patrick, I didn't mean to burn you. I really am sorry. It was an accident." _** Sonny apologized profusely. No matter how much he disliked this man, he didn't have it in him to do anything that would intentionally physically harm Patrick. Sonny could act tough when he needed to, but deep down, he was a peaceful person, who didn't have a mean bone in his body.

**_"It's okay, Jackson,"_** he replied continuing to use his napkin to soak up what he could from his trousers. **_ "I know it wasn't intentional."_** No sneer accompanied his comment, and Sonny started to consider for just a brief moment that he had maybe judged Patrick too harshly. Perhaps what he said was true, that he did feel calmer around Sonny. That being with Sonny made him want to be kind. He watched Patrick sit down and place his napkin back on the table beside of his plate, look back up at him and give a small smile. He almost seemed human tonight.

Their server arrived soon after offering to clean up, but Patrick held out his hand and asked for their check. Standing from the table first, Patrick made his way to Sonny and politely pulled out his chair. He allowed Sonny to stand from the chair and placed his hand lightly on the small of Sonny's back as he ushered them out of the building. They both walked from the restaurant and back over to the front of Patrick's hotel. Sonny reached to grab the door when Patrick stopped him. _** "Jackson, I think we should just call it a night. The evening has been eventful enough for me, and I am happy to return to my room and retire for the night. Maybe get into a clean, dry pair of slacks."** _He said with a light laugh.

**_"W-what?" _**Sonny couldn't believe what he was hearing. Patrick had paid 3 times Sonny's typical fee for a night with him, and now after dinner, one that he spent a lot of money on no less, he was setting Sonny free.

**_"Jackson, you are sweet and beautiful, and I know this must have been very hard for you. Thank you for sharing a meal with me, and I am content with ending our evening here."_**

Sonny instantly felt guilty. He had pictured his evening spent with a monster...a monster that would treat him badly and justify all the hate Sonny felt for him. But somehow, Patrick seemed nice right now and even more than a bit kind. **_"I'm sorry, Patrick, I know I didn't talk to you much at all, I didn't finish my meal and then I spilled coffee on you. I can see why you want this night to end now before I do any more damage." _** Sonny attempted a half-smile.

_**"No apology necessary. I meant what I said that I am happy having taken you out for a nice meal and am just as happy releasing you from our contracted night."** _Patrick said with a lightness that Sonny hadn't heard from the man before.

**_"Okay, well, let me make it up to you." _**Sonny said impulsively. **_"Meet me for breakfast next week. I promise I'll talk a little more and try not to spill a hot beverage on you."_**

_**"Not necessary, Jackson."**_

**_"I know it's not, which is why I want to do it. Does 8:30 am work for you? Next Thursday at the café on the corner?" _**Sonny pointed to the small building that two doors down from the hotel. Patrick instinctively looked towards the coffee shop, following Sonny's outstretched arm. He nodded and looked back towards Sonny.

**_"Fine, Jackson, 8:30 at the café. Then no more, okay?"_** Patrick met Sonny's gaze, and this time his brown eyes had mellowed and he nodded his agreement.

**_"Thank you, Patrick. The meal was great, the clothes are, too, and I'll enjoy the rest of this croissant later, I'm sure."_**

**_"I will bring your other clothes to breakfast. See you then."_** And Patrick turned, entered the hotel lobby and disappeared. Sonny stood outside of the hotel a few moments longer after watching Patrick walk into the hotel and tried to figure out what had just happened. Could the man who raped and insulted Sonny's best friend be the same nice, entertaining Patrick he just shared his dinner with? Sonny shook his head and walked off back towards their flat. This was truly a baffling night, and he really needed to talk to Janice.

**_~~~~~back to present~~~~~_**

_**"I don't know what got into me, Will. But for some reason I started to feel like he might actually be a decent guy deep down. Breakfast was much of the same. We shared small talk, discussed our favorite spots in Paris, had great food, and then he let me leave once again without any expectations."** _Sonny pinched his nose between his index finger and thumb as if a headache was coming on. Will looked up at Sonny and could see confusion and anger at being tricked by the elegant man was evident on Sonny's face.  
**_"What got into him? And most importantly, what got into you that you actually believed his act?"_** Will searched Sonny's eyes for an explanation but saw only failure and regret. He sat up and rested his hand on Sonny's shoulder and placed a small kiss on the nape of Sonny's neck, giving him the strength to move on.

**_"Will, he just had changed so much. I was feeling a little cocky, thinking I had something to do with his about-face. Feeling more brazen than I ever remember, I offered to meet him the following week in his hotel room, so I could fulfill my end of our agreement."_**

**_"No, Sonny, you didn't."_** Will reached into Sonny's lap for his hand. He wanted to feel him, to communicate to Sonny that even though this was a hard story to swallow, he would try to be as understanding as possible.

Squeezing Will's hand in return, Sonny closed his eyes, _**"Yes. I did."**_

_**"And Janice?"**_ Will left the question open.

_**"I've never seen her more upset, Will. She was convinced that this was all a part of Patrick's game, and I insisted that he seemed genuine and that maybe he had actually changed because of me. We went a few days without really talking because my opinion had changed so radically and it was so different from hers." **_Sonny stopped and a small tear slid down his olive-skinned cheek. _**"I think I thought that... if I'm changing him, maybe I COULD fall for him."**_ Sonny said and looked down at his hands in shame.

_**"Sonny." **_ Will's voice was so sad. His heart was breaking for the man sitting so exposed in front of him.

**_"I was such a stupid idiot,"_** he said bitterly, _**"to actually believe the crap he said about me making him a better man! Ha! I got to his hotel room, we pretty much got right down to business, he wanted to focus on oral sex first.**_" Sonny glanced at Will quickly, expecting to see anger, but Will simply squeezed his hand in encouragement. **_ "We did a few things, he seemed very satisfied, and then I pulled out what we would need for...um...anal sex." _**Sonny paused to take a deep breath. **_"I thought it was going well. I thought I was pleasing him...I tried to make some noises he'd like and to tighten myself around him. After just a few thrusts, he suddenly pulled out. I was shocked; I didn't know what to say."  
_**  
_**~~~~~flashback~~~~~**_

**"Patrick is everything okay? Did you want me in a different position?" **Sonny rolled over and looked questionably at the man beside him.

**_"No, Sonny. You can go now." _**Patrick got off of the bed and began putting his clothes on, purposely turning his back on Sonny. Sonny was completely blindsided by the change in Patrick, and sat up, covering himself with the bed linens. He looked blankly at Patrick as the tall man turned and looked down at the boy in the bed.

**_"I'm sorry, you are-are done?"_** Sonny couldn't believe what he was hearing. And then the old Patrick returned, the one Sonny had so ignorantly believed he had changed.

**_"While I find you attractive, Jackson" _**He sneered Sonny's name out of his disgusting foul mouth.**_ "I see that your skills in the area of gay sex are lacking. You don't know how to use your mouth, you're sloppy and the moans you fake sound pathetic. You are a sad fuck, Jackson. You make me limp, which I thought to be impossible since I even took a little pill to help me with that." _**Sonny was so flabbergasted that he couldn't move. **_ "Get dressed, please. We are more than finished here. It's no wonder you have to supplement your income by dancing at the strip club."_** Patrick's words were harsh and cruel, and they crushed Sonny at his very core.

Sonny threw his clothes on as fast as he could and tried to hold back tears, so Patrick would not see him cry. That's all he needed...for Patrick to see that he made him feel even more degraded and insignificant for not being able to control his emotions. Fighting hard against the insecurities that were tearing him apart, Sonny went to the door to leave.

**_"You forgot your jacket." _** Patrick said coldly, holding out the black coat he had purchased for Sonny just a few weeks ago.

Taking it from him, Sonny opened the door and stepped into the hallway. He started to move as quickly as he could to the elevator but was stopped by Patrick's last words:**_ "You'll need to tell your dearest 'Janny' that she is no longer off the hook. I'll expect her here tomorrow night. And if she's not, you will both suffer greatly."_**

_**~~~~~back to present~~~~~**_

Sonny was crying now, tears falling so quickly down his cheeks that Will couldn't keep up. **_"Oh, Sonny," _**Will whispered softly and pulled him into his arms. Sonny tensed up and try to back away, but Will wouldn't let him. **_"Sonny, it's me. Let me hold you, please. I love you."_** And Sonny collapsed in his arms, sobbing and gasping for air. Will let him go and just held him as tightly as he could until Sonny's breathing steadied and his tears subsided. Sonny took a few more small breaths and looked up at Will, still keeping himself in the warmth and safety of Will's strong arms.

**_"Janice went to him the next night,"_** Sonny resumed with as much calm as he could muster. _**"She promised me she wouldn't but then she did anyway once I had gone to the club. Patrick had his way with her and then beat her unconscious. Like last time, he called me, and I rushed to her, but this time he wasn't there. He had left and the room was cleared of all of his belongings. I-I didn't see him again until he showed up here."**_

_**"And Janice? Sonny, she was okay?"**_ Will asked hesitantly, knowing that it would have probably been one of the last times Sonny saw his friend and sister before she contacted his parents and sent him back to the United States. And then until she showed up at The Salem Inn 6 months ago with the beautiful baby that was now theirs.

**_"I rushed her to the hospital. She actually woke up in the car on the way there. But that was the night the Dr. saw some spots on her lungs and suspected there might be something seriously wrong with her. He scheduled her for more tests, which she kept from me, and within a week, she was diagnosed with an advanced stage of lymphoma. She never told me she had cancer Will, and she didn't tell me what Patrick did to her that night." _**Sonny tore his gaze from Will's and focused on a spot on the wall behind him_**. "And although I'll never know for sure, I think that's also the night Janice suspected she might have gotten pregnant."**_

_**"Oh gosh, Sonny! I'm so sorry!"**_ Will gently place a finger on his chin, returning Sonny's gaze to him. The pain in his eyes took Will's breath away.

_**"I know, Will. Me too, more sorry than I've ever been. And I'll never forgive myself for betraying my best friend."** _Sonny looked up at Will, and could tell that he was heartbroken over what he had just been told. **_"Do you need a moment to digest all of that? To see what a horrible friend I really am?"_** Sonny asked as he tried to pull himself from Will's embrace.**_"Sonny, look at me."_** Will lifted Sonny's chin and pulled it towards him, looking lovingly into his dark brown eyes, _**"You didn't betray her Sonny. You loved her, and risked going out with this madman for her. She knew that, don't tell yourself anything different babe."**_ Will could feel the tears stinging in the back of his eyes, but he knew he needed to be strong for Sonny right now, **_"And she loved you, so much so, she went back to this monster to protect you. She sent you back here to save you from that life, that man. And look what it got you huh?"_** Will kissed Sonny lightly on the lips and then said these words to him, **_"Me, Sonny. It got you me, your soul mate."_**


	16. Chapter 16

Sonny took a deep breath and rolled over as he stretched his lean, tanned body and gave a little moan at how good the movement felt. Will was sitting on the end of the bed and licked his lips as he watched Sonny's long, supple muscles contract, and he had to swallow hard when the moan escaped Sonny's beautiful mouth. If Jax wasn't sitting there with him, he might have jumped Sonny then and there, ravishing him with untamed desire.

Sonny sleepily opened his eyes and smiled at the sweet sight that greeted him. Jax and Will were sitting at the foot of the bed, holding a tray of chocolate chip pancakes, his favorite. Sonny sat up and leaned on his elbows, cocking his head to one side, **_"What's this?"_**

Will smiled and said,**_ "Breakfast! Sit up and eat!"_** Sonny complied as he scooted back towards the headboard, and Will set the tray on his lap and kissed his nose.**_ "Good Morning beautiful,"_** he said and smiled as he kissed his forehead and then nose again.

Sonny timidly looked up at Will and whispered,**_ "You still think I'm beautiful after what I told you last night?"_** His eyes dropped back to the tray sitting in front of him. To his surprise, his question was answered by Jax, who came bounding onto his lap, sending food flying everywhere, announcing, **_"dada texxxxxxy!"_ ** Jax climbed up Sonny's chest, began giving his daddy big slobbery, open-mouthed kisses all over his face and rubbed sticky hands in his dark hair. Sonny pulled the little boy away from his now syrup covered face and hair, settled him in his arms and started tickling his belly, singing and not speaking,**_ "Dada Will is a silly silly boy isn't he? Silly silly boy!"_** Kissing Jax on the forehead, Sonny sat him down onto the floor. Without hesitation, Jax immediately began trying to find spilled pancakes to shovel into his mouth before his Daddies noticed.

Sonny looked at Will and chuckled,**_ "No more sex talk around our son, ok?"_** He lifted covers off of himself and began to pick up the pancakes that were now strewn all over the bed and floor. He pulled a dirty pancake from Jax's sticky little fingers, eliciting a major tantrum,**_ "takes, takes,"_** Jax sobbed reaching for another pancake, but Sonny got to it first.

Trying to distract him, Will picked up the crying toddler, cradled him in his arms and started teasing, **_"Yes, dada's quite sexy and handsome."_ ** Blatantly disregarding Sonny's request to limit that kind of talk around such young, impressionable ears, Will glanced up at Sonny heatedly and whispered near his ear, **_"Very sexy and very handsome."_ **Sonny sighed and shook his head at Will, whose blue eyes twinkled in defiance. They held each others gaze intensely, neither wanting to be the first to look away.

Their reverie was broken when a restless Jax squealed and tried to wiggle free. Will sat him on the clean side of the bed and found his favorite stuffed elephant, and Jax quieted almost immediately. With the toddler otherwise occupied, the duo worked arduously, cleaning the room, finding bits and pieces of pancake that had been thrown to the floor in Jax's early morning enthusiasm. Will shook his head and giggled to himself.

**_"What?"_** Sonny inquired as he gave Will his adorable, crooked smile. There was that smile; the very same smile that made Will fall head over heels in love with this gorgeous man the first time he laid eyes on him in the coffee-shop.

**_"I was just thinking that it was a good thing the coffee hadn't been ready..."_** Will's voice trailed off as Sonny made an _"ouch,"_ face and laughed. Life had drastically changed for Sonny and Will in just a matter of a few months. Despite being more tired than they've ever been and having to clean their place more times in a day than they used to do in one month, the couple wouldn't have it any other way.

They headed out of the bedroom, and Sonny grabbed Jax to give him a bath, while Will got dressed to leave for a new lecture he had signed up to attend earlier in the week. He loved writing in HTML and Java Script, but wanted to see it he could figure out the old writing language of C++. Thinking about how excited his was for this lecture, he went to swing his backpack over his shoulders when a bouncing, giggling Jax almost knocked him over. Sonny, looking rather displeased, followed right behind, trying to catch him as he ran a circle around his dada Dill. Apparently, Sonny had tried to dry Jax off when he decided it was playtime; Their adorable little boy jumped down off his toddler bed and started playing tag, **_"you it, dada!"_** As he ran away from Sonny, the towel slid off his little body and got caught in the crack of his bottom.**_ "Jax, you come back here mister! This is not play time, it's time to get dressed! Get back here young man!"_** Sonny was running after him like a mad man on a mission, trying not to laugh too hard while Jax's towel still dragged from his behind.

Will started to chuckle, then the chuckle gave way into a laugh, which eventually propelled him into his first full gut-bursting, body-shaking laugh in over 3 months. **_"You're chasing a little boy with a towel stuck in his butt, Sonny! You definitely have become a parent!"_** Will gasped, out of breath and doubled over laughing harder than he ever thought possible. Tears of joy were rolling down his face, which made Sonny stop and turn toward his boyfriend and then to Jax. He examined the scene and it hit him: he had to be the luckiest person on this entire planet to have been given such an incredible gift. No longer able to restrain himself, he joined in the laughter, the ridiculous scene unfolding in front of him like something out of a movie. The two laughed so hard, their stomachs hurt and they needed to latch on to the other for fear of collapsing to the floor. Looking at each other with the most stunningly dazzling smiles, they hugged, laughed, kissed, and then hugged and laughed some more. It was cathartic and necessary to release the stress from the previous night.

**_"Who knew kids were so fast?"_** Sonny questioned as he watched Jax run circles around the house, towel still in tow. **_"Looks like we might have a cross-country runner on our hands."_ **Sonny responded frustrated but proud at the same time. Finally Jax calmed down, the towel now abandoned on the floor and walked over to Sonny, tugging on his leg. **_"Dada, up! Det toes on."_** Sonny smiled admiringly at Jax and then at Will. **_ "I love you both so much,"_** he murmured with raw emotion. Smiling and waving at Will, he scooped up Jax and replied, **_"Absolutely little man, let's go get you some clothes on."_**

**_~~~~~~3 hours later at the coffee-house~~~~~_**

Will walked into the coffee-house, dropped his backpack behind the bar and pulled Sonny into a tight, desperate hug.**_ "He was there Sonny. He confronted me again after class and it took every bit of self-control I had not to deck that sorry Son-of-a-bitch,"_** Will muffled into Sonny's neck. He leaned back and gave Sonny a kiss that made his head spin and feel weak in the knees.

**_"It was awful Son, he already has a lawyer working to get him that test, and I'm pretty sure he's not going to back off babe. I'm sorry."_** Will said as he welcomed the cup of coffee Sonny had made and handed to him. He blew a few times over the top of the cup, took a few sips to test the temp and smiled as he swallowed the dark, warm liquid.**_ "Mmmm."_ **He said as it moved further down his throat, warming his body from the inside out.**_ "You know me so well. What would I ever do without you?"_** Will grinned playfully, his baby blues twinkling in the light. Sonny returned the adoring glance and rested his hand lightly around Will's waist. Will took another sip and closed his eyes as he relished in two of his most favorite things in the world; the comfort of a freshly brewed dark roast and the loving embrace of his soul-mate .

**_"You wouldn't survive very long would you?"_** Sonny teased as he pulled back slightly to kiss Will enticingly on the lips. The kiss did its job and Will stopped thinking all together, allowing Sonny to deepen the kiss and pin his back to the counter.**_ "It's a good thing you'll never know isn't it?"_** Sonny took the mug from his hand, set it down and kissed Will again, this time welcoming the sensation of Will's now-freed hands as they made their way to the back of his head and into his hair.

When they came apart, Will responded, **_"Yes. It would be nearly impossible to live without coffee."_** Will smirked while Sonny feigned shock. **_"So, it's true then. You only love me for my dark roast."_**

Will winked at his gorgeous boyfriend and remembered back to earlier that morning, savoring the memory of Sonny's blissful smile as he woke up to Will and Jax serving him breakfast in bed. Thinking about Jax made him think about Patrick, and his smile quickly faded.**_ "Seriously, Son. He has a lawyer and they're filing paperwork this week. What are we going to do?"_**

Sonny could see that Will was really worried about the prospect of Patrick Flynn being Jax's father. He shifted his feet and lay a hand on Will's shoulder and spoke quietly,**_ "I spoke to my dad, and he thinks that it won't be an issue. We give him the DNA test, use DiMera labs with a tech dad has on retainer. IF it comes back positive, well, let's just say that they'll do everything they can to make sure it doesn't. Dad has it under control."_**

**"Wait, DiMera labs? Sonny, I don't want you involved with the DiMera's. And how did he get access to the labs? Aren't your families at war?"**

Sonny smiled, **_"Not anymore. Funny how another villain entering the picture can bring even the fiercest enemies together, hah?"_** Sonny paused to make sure Will was calming down. **_"You see, Patrick decided to try to bribe EJ's lawyer into giving him some sealed information on you. Basically, Patrick Flynn has no case against us, and he foolishly though that a DiMera would do just about anything to get back at someone close to a Kiriakis. What he didn't count on, is that EJ is married to your mom."_ **Sonny gave a small smile and his voice lowered as he finished, **_"So for right now, we pretend we don't know this has happened, and let my dad take care of it. Deal?"_** Sonny said and kissed Will lightly on the cheek.

**_"Son, I don't like this, and you know that despite being married to my mom, I still don't trust EJ DiMera, but I do trust you. If you believe this will work, then I will too. But please remember, I have just as much to lose as you do. I love that little boy like he's my own, and if Patrick thinks he's getting him, DNA or not? He has another think coming."_** Sonny nodded at Will's forceful declaration and hugged him closely to his chest.

They stayed like that until the small bell on the door rang, breaking them apart. Sonny turned to greet his customer and froze in his tracks. Will immediately turned too, wanting to see what had shocked his love so suddenly.

Sonny swallowed down his fiery anger, displeasure clear in his almond brown eyes, and tried to muster enough civility to speak. **_"Patrick, what can I get for you?"_**

Patrick curled his lip at Sonny and quipped,**_ "Well, well, Jackson. Looks like you have a good little spot here, business seems to be thriving."_ **He looked around the coffee-house until his eyes landed on Jax, playing quietly in the playpen in the corner. **_"You even have an 'adorable' addition to it."_** He uttered, lifting his head so he could point his chin in the direction of the baby.

Will pushed himself off of the counter and started to grab Jax when a threat sent shivers up his spine, **_"Don't worry Willy, my boy, before long that 'precious addition' will be mine. You see, I have found a lawyer to petition a judge for that DNA test you keep denying me. One who's not afraid to...let's say...bend the rules. For the right cause that is."_ ** Patrick smirked arrogantly, his cold eyes shifting between both boys.

Satisfied that his claim struck a nerve, he stepped closer to the counter. **_ "I'll have an espresso, to go Jackson."_ **He leaned in to Sonny and spat out, **_"Oh and Jackson, don't forget about our deal. Janice isn't here anymore. So, I might be in the market for a... let's call it, replacement."_ **He turned a hooded glance toward Will, devouring him with his eyes like he was a delicate piece of sirloin.

**_"Not on your life."_** Will responded vehemently as he picked Jax up and took him into the back room.

**_"We'll see, won't we?"_ **Patrick spoke only to Sonny now, Will and Jax out of earshot. **_"Remember what you were willing to do for Janice all those years ago, Jackson? I get the feeling that your adorable, feisty Will would do just about anything for you and that little boy. Keep that in mind, will you Jackson? Because you know better than most that I'll stop at nothing to get what I want."_**

Sonny set the cup of espresso on the counter and resisted the urge to pour the scalding liquid into Patrick's smug face. **_ "There is something you need to know, too, Patrick."_** Sonny rested his elbows on the bar, shifting forward enough to invade Patrick's personal space.**_ "I am not the same adolescent, insecure Jackson you knew years ago in London. I have changed. And our families are willing to stop at nothing to keep you from our baby."_** He added confidently, **_"and just in case you haven't heard, Will is a Horton and a Brady, most of his family is on the police force, my family are the Kiriakis', known to be very savvy, clever business people, and we recently forged a bond with another prominent Salem family, the DiMeras. See Patrick, Will and I are both willing to do just about anything to protect Jax from the likes of you. Now please take your coffee and get out of my shop."_** Patrick retreated, speechless for once in his life, and left without another word.


	17. Chapter 17

Patrick was sitting in one of the isolated rooms at DiMera Labs, accompanied by his lawyer. His attorney needed to be there to ensure that the Chain of Custody could not be broken and that his DNA swab was obtained accurately and legally. Knowing that the DiMera's and the Kiriakis' were now putting their feuds aside for the sake of Sonny made Patrick more than a little nervous about this whole process. If there had been another lab with the same level of advanced DNA Paternity testing equipment in the Salem area, he would be there. Unfortunately, DiMera Labs was it. _All the more reason to have my attorney present,_ thought Patrick begrudgingly.

The tech walked in, gave a small smile and said a polite _"hello,"_ to which Patrick responded with a scowl and turned his head. She had Patrick sign a form stating who he was, what he was there for and that he wasn't offering this DNA sample under any form of duress. Silently she pulled out the swab, ran it along the inside of his right cheek, put it in its container and sealed it up. She labeled it with his name, had him sign the tube encasing his DNA, and then had him and his attorney sign off on the Chain of Custody. Once they attested that it had not been broken, they exited the small room and his lawyer immediately contacted Justin, who was acting attorney for Sonny and Will. Now the couple had only 48 hours to obtain DNA from Jax, or Patrick would petition the court to hold Sonny with Obstruction of Justice.

It was two days later, right about at the expiration of their allotted 48 hour time frame, that Sonny and Will took Jax into DiMera Labs for his test. Jax was currently very displeased, sitting on Sonny's lap, refusing to let the tech take the small swab of DNA from his cheek necessary to fulfill their obligation.**_ "Jaxy, it's ok baby. We just want to tickle the inside of those beautiful cheeks. It will be quick, I promise, and then we can go."_** Sonny tried, pleaded unsuccessfully to talk the toddler into letting the tech take the needed sample.

_**"No dada, no like."**_ Jax said as he pushed away the swab, tried to wiggle free and climb down off of Sonny's lap. No matter what he tried, nothing worked. It's as if Jax knew who was requiring this of him, and because of it, he fought even harder. Sonny agreed with Jax on that; he hated the fact that Patrick got them here to force their 2 year old to give a DNA sample. But his Dad said there was no other way. They would have to do the test and then hope for the best results.

Sonny took a deep breath and looked over at Will for a little help. Will smiled at the darker-haired father and walked over to the duo. He put his hand on Sonny's knee and smiled, and Sonny instantly felt relieved, knowing by the clever glint in his eyes that Will had a plan. He bent over and whispered softly to Jax, **_"You know the ice cream shop we like? The one just Jax and dada Will go to? Where you get to see the big train?"_** Jax's eyes were now big as saucers with child-like excitement as he nodded fast and bounced up and down on Sonny's, now aching, lap.

**_"Twain, ice cweam."_** He was saying, clapping his chubby hands together. His attention was now off of the tech and completely focused on his dada Will.

Sonny shot Will an inquisitive smirk and cocked his head to the side.**_ "If you let the nice man here tickle those beautiful cheeks of yours, we'll go get some and take dada with us. Would you like that?"_** Jax slowly opened his mouth just enough to let the swab pass and watched apprehensively as the tech swiped the inside of his cheek.

Justin stood over in the corner, smiling at the scene. Seeing Sonny happy was one thing, seeing Sonny happy with a family was priceless. He walked forward and signed the disclaimer acknowledging that the Chain of Custody had been followed correctly and that the DNA had come from Jax. Will and Sonny also signed the same form. Sonny, being Jax's legal father, signed the DNA swab's tube while Will played peek-a-boo in the corner with Jax.

The small family exited the lab and walked down the white stone-washed staircase into the beautiful sunny day. Jax was holding on to his Grandpa Justin's hand, Sonny was holding his soul mate's hand, and all 4 walked with their heads held high, finally allowing a sense of relief to wash over them. Despite their current state of mind, Sonny, Will and Justin were still feeling a little fearful, thinking about the_ "what ifs"_ that came with this test.

As the quartet approached the parking lot, Justin turned and kneeled down to Jax, put his hands on Jax's hips and whispered,**_ "Grandpa has to go buddy, but I need you to do me a big favor. Do you think you can?"_ **Justin nodded his head so Jax did too.

**_"Secwet, papaw secwet!"_**

Justin smiled and kissed the top of Jax's head and looked back at the little boy saying just a touch louder, **_"Make daddy and daddy Will smile today. Can you do that?"_**

Jax kept nodding his head faster and faster **_"yes, papaw, make dadas smile."_**

Justin stood up and rubbed his grandson's hair, messing it up a little and eliciting a growl from the toddler's lips. He chuckled and hugged Will and Sonny, and patted them both on the back with their hugs saying, **_"We'll keep in touch."_** And they all went their separate ways.

**_"Jax, you are crazy buddy, that ice cream is cold,"_** Sonny said as he wiped off the ice cream that just flew from Jax's cone and onto his partially bare chest. **_"Let's eat that ice cream, not throw it at daddy."_** Sonny said with a stern face and shook his finger at the toddler sitting across from him on the blanket. That didn't work as a second glob of ice cream came flying and landed in Sonny's hair. **_"Jax! Not in my hair! Yuk, it's all sticky now. I'm going to have to wash it again when we get home!"_** Sonny exclaimed using his napkin to wipe as much as he could of the sticky mess out of his hair.

Will was laughing so hard that he fell over, holding his sides from the pain, tears running down his cheeks.**_ "Oh, you think this is funny? You're the one who decided on the ice cream shop. Jax, I think we should give daddy Will a bit of his own medicine. What do you think?"_** Winking at Jax conspiratorially, Sonny rolled over to his other side, lifted the lid to to the ice cream bucket and stuck his hand inside. He lifted the ice cream carton and the scoop, and gave an evil smile as he heard his son giggle, egging him on. Jax's uncontrollable laugh at the situation unfolding in front of him was irresistible to anyone within a mile's radius.

Will suddenly sat up, recognizing that Sonny didn't appear to be kidding with his threat.**_ "Whoa Sonny, you wouldn't do that. Come on, don't be a bad example to your child. Please..."_** Will begged making puppy dog eyes at him. **_"Sweetie, you wouldn't do that."_** And as another plea was about to let loose from Will's lips, a spoonful of vanilla ice cream flew directly onto Will's face. Without a moment's hesitation, he opened his beautiful eyes and yelled,**_ "Food fight!"_**

Chad and Abby had only to follow the giggles and squeals from the threesome to find their location in the park. Sonny, Will and Jax were in their usual spot, like always, the one they first discovered with Janice just a year ago. The couple walked in on the scene and laughed openly at their ice cream covered friends. Looking at each other and shrugging, Chad and Abby grabbed some fries from their own take-out bags and jumped into the food fight. **_"C'mon you two! Chad, my team! Will, you get the kid and the girl. Let's do this people."_ **Sonny said as he picked up more ice cream, ice, one of Chad's fries - anything he could find to use as a food fight weapon.

_**"Oh, so I'm some helpless maiden because I'm a girl huh?" **_Abigail pretended to pout but was laughing more at the amount of food she already had caked into her hair. Finding a stray chunk of ice cream that had just made its way to the ground, she picked it up and hurled it at Sonny.

**_"Oh Sonny, remember this food fight tonight when Jax thinks it's ok to sling his dinner all over the kitchen because his daddy did it at the park this afternoon."_ **Will said breathlessly ducking and throwing more food. Anything that could be picked up at that point was game. Sonny nodded and chucked a handful of salad mix from his bowl at Will and followed that with another hand of cole slaw.

**_"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Four adults acting the age..."_** and a goop of salad landed on Patrick's trousers, right near his crotch. He walked directly into the line of fire and had suffered quite the shot. Taking an appalled step backwards, a second spoonful of something unrecognizable landed on the arm of his jacket. Wiping it off and taking a breath to control his obvious anger, Patrick seethed,**_ "Care to enlighten me as to why a group of adults, at least two of whom should be setting a positive example for Jax, are acting like spoiled, undisciplined brats?"_** Despite how menacing he truly was, Sonny had to stifle a snort as Patrick pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and swiped at the spots that would no doubt stain his suit.

Chad elbowed his friend and quietly said, **_"He always this friendly?"_** Which gained a small laugh from Sonny and a sideways smile from Chad. Chad stuck out his sticky hand and said, **_"Hi, I'm Chad. And you are..."_**

**_"No one you want to cross, boy."_** Patrick spoke, his disdain apparent.**_ "Now take your sticky hand away from me; I'm afraid I might catch some sort of..."_** He sneered and shivered at the same time, letting his last sentence fall off incomplete.

Abby walked over to Chad and leaned into his side and said, **_"Let's get out of here, Chad."_** He nodded and looked over to Will and Sonny and extended his hand to the boys.

**_"You need us to take little man here for you guys for a few minutes? I can get him all cleaned off. Give you guys a chance to, ah,"_** and he paused as he looked over to Patrick, and finished tentatively with, **_"talk."_**

**_"Yeah, that'd be great if you could,"_** Sonny said as he picked up Jax and rubbed their noses together,**_ "Now, you go with Uncle Chad and Auntie Abigail! Have fun and be good!"_** And he kissed him on his little nose.

Glancing skeptically at Patrick, Jax pointed to him and asked in his baby talk voice, **_"Dada, bad man?_**" Sonny completely understood his question.**_ "He's not a good man like your daddy's or Uncle Chad bub,"_** he whispered just enough for Jax to believe that he was being let it on some big secret but loud enough for Patrick to overhear.

Sonny handed Jax over to Will who turned his attention to the beautiful child in his arms. He whispered,**_ "Don't worry honey, we'll plan another day to go out and have a food fight like this again soon."_** Will nuzzled the soft rolls of Jax's neck and kissed him on the nose. Meeting Chad and Abby's gazes directly, he tried to offer some helpful advice. **_"Jax loves his baths, but he hates to be dried off with a towel. Drying him off might just require a joint effort, especially if little Jax is on the cranky side."_** Both Will and Sonny smiled at the memory of the previous day, the sight of Sonny chasing a naked Jax around the house with a towel stuck in his butt. **_"Ok, Jaxy, are you ready to go with auntie and uncle?"_** Sonny asked one more time as Will handed him over to Chad, and Sonny packed up his diaper bag to hand to Abby.

**_"This is preposterous! These two are NOT his aunt and uncle!"_** Patrick exclaimed, puffing out his chest in displeasure. **_"They're American! Raising my child!"_** Patrick said as he turned his nose up at the thought.

Will took a small step forward, but Sonny grabbed his arm and pulled him back to his side._** "We both are American, Patrick, and as an additional reminder, Jax isn't 'your' child. What's it gonna take to get that through your thick skull?"**_ Will said.

**_"The paternity test results."_** Patrick smirked matter of factly.

Sonny wrapped his arm around Will's waist and spoke softly, but firmly. **_"Patrick, we choose who he calls 'auntie' and 'uncle'. Right now, you are clearly not on that list. Now, if you don't have anything further, we really should clean up and head to the shower."_** Patrick wiped his shoes on the picnic blanket and turned to walk away, making no mention of an apology. Chad, Abby and Jax headed off in the direction of Chad's car, and Patrick slinked off in the opposite direction.

Back at their apartment, they were lying on the couch after enjoying a nice, long, hot shower. Sonny was curled half on top of Will, half on the couch talking on the phone, relishing the feel of Will's fingers in his hair. He was talking to Chad on the phone and drawing circles on his mate's chest, eliciting a physical response from Will with each finger light touch.

**_"Alright dude. We appreciate it,"_** Sonny paused for a second, waiting for the other person to finish his sentence. **_"we really do!"_** Sonny pulled away from the phone briefly to wink and wiggle his eyebrows at Will suggestively. **_"Okay, so Jax likes a little bit of ketchup with his hot dogs but he doesn't do buns well, so stay away from those,"_** he paused again to let the other person respond. **_"I know...he doesn't do carbs, can you believe it? And you sure there's enough supplies in the diaper bag? Pajamas, wipes, binkie, diapers?"_** he asked and nodded for the last time.**_ "Ok dude, Will and I so appreciate this! We haven't had a night alone with each other since we got him 7 months ago!"_**

Opening his eyes wide, Will yelled over Sonny's shoulder and into the phone, **_"Thanks man! We owe ya one!"_** And with that, Sonny hung up the phone and smiled at his sexy boyfriend, who had resumed his caresses through Sonny's hair. Will pulled Sonny completely on top of him and thrust his hips enticingly into Sonny's.

**_"We're baby free for the evening?"_ **Will asked as he rolled Sonny over and settled a leg on each side, straddling him. Sonny bit his bottom lip and let out a small, unbidden gasp.

**_"Yes we are,"_** Sonny replied moving both hands down Will's back to cup his perfect ass. **_"Chad and Abby said they would tag team and keep him for the night. We, my sexy, sexy man, are indeed baby free. So, kiss me now before you drive me completely crazy,"_** Sonny answered and leaned forward to capture Will's full lips in a slow, drawn-out kiss. This was the kind of kiss that was filled with urgent passion, instead of urgent need. Sonny trailed his finger tips, ever so softly, up and down Will's sides. Will thought he was going to pass out from the pleasure of having every part of his body being touched by Sonny. He tried to open his knees to be able to rub against Will completely, but Will's legs had him trapped and that tension stimulated Sonny even more. Will pressed into him, his growing erection finding Sonny's.

Will broke the passionate kiss, as he leaned his head back and rolled it to the side. He moved to face Sonny once again, allowing his blonde hair to fall forward and cover his crystal blue eyes; his hair tickled Sonny's neck and chest, and he gave out a light gasp at the tantalizing sensation.

Sonny grabbed Will by the collar of his shirt, pulled him down to him and spoke in a hoarse whisper._** "That - that man will never beat us. We are Jax's parents. No matter the results. Do you believe me Will? Do you trust me?"**_ Will opened his eyes and saw sincerity and determination in the deep brown eyes he loved so much.

**_"I do believe you, Sonny...and I trust you. We'll do this together."_**

Sonny smiled his million watt smile and suggested they move to the bedroom. Will smiled and stood up, offering his hand to the finely sculptured man standing in front of him. They kissed urgently, desperately, fighting for dominance, stripping each other's clothes off while making their way back to the bedroom.

Sonny was breathing fast and hard, his chest was pushed out and forward, his shoulders dropped back and slightly down. Will gasped at the sight, marveling at how beautiful his upper body was. Will was mesmerized with the toned muscles and lifted a hand to Sonny's chest, and with a feather-light touch, he traced Sonny's pecs, following the slim trail of dark hair down to Sonny's waist, where he rested it. He raised his other hand and settled it on Sonny's other hip, as he lightly began kissing the man standing before him. As the kiss intensified, Will pushed Sonny onto the bed and crawled on top of him. Never losing contact with their lips, Sonny slid backwards towards the headboard, while Will stalked forward, settling in between his knees. They broke the kiss for just a moment to catch their breath. Then Will leaned forward, lightly nibbled on Sonny's ear and said quietly, **_"I love you Sonny. I...am so in love with you Jackson 'Sonny' Kiriakis. And I promise to, one day, make you enjoy being called 'Jackson' because Sonny, I love that name, almost as much as I love you."_ **Will leaned down and lightly kissed his love on the nose and looked back up into Sonny's misty eyes.

Sonny smiled and whispered softly,**_ "I do enjoy being called 'Jackson.' When it comes from your magnificent lips while you're screaming it in ecstasy, it's the most amazing name ever created."_**

They made love deep into the night, completely uninhibited, finally passing out from exhaustion rather than from anything else. They both learned some very important things in the past 24 hours. One, it was possible to leave their son with someone overnight and still survive. Two, Chad and Abigail might be the best friends they could have ever asked for. Three, they loved seeing Patrick's precious suit covered in food. Four, no matter what the test results showed tomorrow, Jax would always be their son.

They wrapped their arms around each other, content in the events of the day, comforted by their deep love for each other and their son. They may not know what tomorrow would bring, but with each other, Jax and their friends and family behind them, they would always be ok.


	18. Chapter 18

Sonny was sitting in a small wooden chair in a small white room holding Jax, waiting with the Child Services Director and his father to hear test results and a resolution to their case. He knew that Patrick was in the room next to his, and he was feeling slightly apprehensive that there was only a thin wall in between him and this man from his past. He was bouncing a wiggling Jax, attempting to distract him as he wailed to get down to play with a certain Child Services Director's skirt. Every time she would come close to Sonny, Jax would reach out for the material, almost toppling himself off of his daddy's lap. Every time he did this, Will snickered and thought, _"He's going to he a lady's man when he grows up."_

Next door, Patrick appeared as usual calm, cool and collected on the outside, but though he would never admit this to anyone, he was a total wreck on the inside. What if Jax really was his child? He really didn't think he was, but he was a bit terrified at the realization that it was possible. Patrick had no idea how to raise a baby, and he didn't want to learn either. Truthfully, this started as just some ploy to get back at Sonny. Despite how cruel he'd been to him during their night together, Patrick still couldn't get him out of his mind. He felt powerful and mysterious with Sonny. He needed to feel that again, so he did all of this to shake Sonny's world and crack him so that he would come crawling back into his arms and eventually his bed. _"They were stronger together than I had thought."_ He scowled and bit down on the tip of his finger, deep in thought._ "I need to find a way to separate them when this test comes back negative."_ It didn't bother him at all that he was more worried about getting Sonny back into his "services" than the baby he might just have to raise.

Will noticed that Jax was annoying his worried daddy, so he walked over to the table, sat down beside Sonny and rested his hand on his boyfriend's shoulder. He leaned back and smiled as he ran his fingers through Sonny's dark hair. **_"You know, when I was younger and listening to normal music,"_** he smiled and bumped his shoulder into Sonny, rocking him a little in his seat. **_"There was this song that came on the radio a lot. It helped me through a few hard times with my mom. You know, on those nights when I had to watch my siblings or when she'd shuffle me off to stay with my grandma because she had to go out. It's a great song; It went like this...If I could tell the world just one thing, it would be, we're all ok. And not to worry because worry is useless and wasteful in times like these. I won't be made feel useless, I won't idle with despair."_** Sonny looked up at Will with wonder and pride in his eyes. **_"Jewel was a smart woman Sonny because we are ok. And we shouldn't worry about these test results because it's just eating at you. Don't let him do this to you, Sonny...we're in this together, right?"_**

Sonny, with tears in his eyes, leaned in for a small, wistful kiss. Jax took this momentary lack of Daddy's attention and escaped the hands of his fathers and lunged right into the CSD's paperwork, which happened to be spread across the table. The sheets went flying, a few landed on the floor, a few went in the air, and what didn't leave the table ended up inside of the toddler's slobbery, drooling mouth.

**_"Jax!"_** Sonny scolded but received a mischievous laugh in response. He grabbed for his son, hoping to avoid any further damage. Jax continued to giggle, and Sonny hear Will suppress a chuckle behind him. **_"I'm so sorry dad!_**" Sonny said as he looked over to his father, who was standing in the corner of the room, watching the scene unfold.

**_"It's ok Son, he's a Kiriakis...stirring up trouble already. I know how you boys can be. So,"_** he paused and grinned proudly as he opened up his briefcase, **_"I brought a second set of documents."_** He held them up for reinforcement.

Sonny visibly relaxed and Will smiled. **_"How about I take Jaxy here for a walk, we'll get out of this room and your hair for a bit, and you can talk more with your dad."_** Will offered and picked Jax up.**_ "Hey Jaxy, how about I take you to the nice fountain we saw outside? Huh? Do you think that would be fun?"_** Jax reached for Will's hand and they headed out of the room together.

**_"He is... spunky."_** Justin said with a smile. **_"A little like you and your brothers were when you all were his age."_** Justin said after he belted out a laugh.

Just then the door opened as Patrick's counselor walked in announcing it was time to read the results in front of the family court judge. Sonny quickly called Will, who had just made it to the fountain, and followed his Dad and the Child Services Director into another room.

Sonny took an uncomfortable seat and waited for his boyfriend and son to join him. The judge was already there as well as the counselors and lawyers. He let out the breath he didn't know he was holding when he saw Will walk in with Jax but sucked it back in abruptly when he saw Patrick walk in right behind them.

The judge looked over a single piece of paper that held an innocent little boy's fate. Glancing up briefly at the two parties, his eyes landed momentarily on Jax before he continued with the results. **_ "In the case of Jackson Eoin Kiriakis, a match of 46.5% with Patrick Ryan Flynn being the second DNA submitted for analysis. Any match of less that 99.8% on a DNA result, is a negative."_ **The whole room, including Patrick himself, seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

**_"I assume you are the party who petitioned for the paternity test? One Patrick Flynn?"_** The judge met Patrick's cold eyes as he took off his glasses and pointed them in his direction.

**_"I am your honor."_** Patrick said politely, flashing the judge a smile, showing off his polished and recently whitened teeth.

The judge nodded his head. He then looked to Sonny and Will and said,**_ "I assume that one of you two gentlemen is Jackson Kiriakis?"_**

**_"I am, your honor, Sonny Kiriakis."_** Sonny said as he nodded his acknowledgement to his name.

The judge looked back down at the test results for a moment. **_"I am going to speak to every party in this room, and I will tell you all the exact same thing that I say every time I find myself in this type of situation. I don't know the circumstances for this DNA test, and quite frankly I don't want to know - that's your business. But I am disappointed once again that a child has been used as a pawn in a battle that's clearly between two grown adults. Now, these results I am holding, say that Mr. Flynn here is not the father of the child in question. From your reaction earlier, I gather this is neither a surprise nor a let down. Now, Mr. Flynn, I have read up on you, and I want you to understand the grave consequences of what you are trying to do to these two young men and this little child. And Jackson, I want you to understand the consequences to putting your newly adopted child in this situation. I expect you three men to grow up and learn to settle your differences in another way. Sonny, you and your partner take good care of this precious baby, and you, Mr. Flynn, leave them to that task. Now, stand up and go home, and put this feud behind you. I would really prefer to not see your faces in this court again. Do I make myself clear?"_**

**_"Yes, sir. Very... clear."_** Sonny said feeling slightly chastised as he slouched a little lower into his chair.

**_"Crystal...sir."_** Patrick said with his usual snare, not releasing eye contact with the judge in his attempt to be the alpha in this situation. He would NOT be talked to in that way, even by a judge in a court of law.

Thanking the judge, Sonny, Will, Jax and Justin said their _"good-byes"_ and headed for the door. Patrick, on the other hand, remained seated, watching the little family talking and laughing as they exited the courtroom.

**_*&%)*$&&)#(*$#()*%+_)(%+_$^)$*(&%_$()%+_$%_**

**_"To Jax!"_** Justin declared as they clinked coffee mugs back at Common Grounds. Will's mom, Grandma Marlena and Sonny's mom, Adrienne, were all there along with a few of the couple's friends. Will and Sonny were sitting on the couch watching the most important people in their lives play with Jax, who was doing a fine job of melting each and every one of their hearts.

Sonny leaned into Will and asked softly, his words tickling Will's ear,**_ "Do you remember any more of those lyrics?"_**

Will closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of Sonny's lips so close and wrapped his strong arms around Sonny. Pulling him closer, he whispered,**_ "I'll gather myself around my faith, for the light the darkness most fears."_**

Sonny smiled, looked over his shoulder at a misty eyed Will and brought one shaky hand to Will's cheek. **_"I won't despair Will, because I have you. You are my faith, my light, my life. I love you. I love little Jax, and I love our family so much."_** Will could see the raw emotion on Sonny's face but his voice remained confident and steady.

Will leaned down and laid a gentle, chaste kiss on Sonny's closed lips, **_"I love you Jackson, with every beat of my heart."_**

A few hours and about a hundred pots of coffee later, Sonny and Will were finally at home with their son. Their son. Not Patrick's, biologically or otherwise. Who Jax's real father is, they may never know. But at least it wasn't the hideous man who beat and raped the boy's mother and tormented and manipulated the boy's now-dad.

Smiling contentedly, Sonny began thinking of ways to make this official. Him and Will. Him and Jax. Jax and Will. He sat down at the kitchen table, crossed his arms, and rested his chin on his forearms. He began daydreaming of his perfect day. He dreamed of a romantic proposal, because though he wouldn't always admit it, Will was the one who loved the sappy, romantic flicks. He dreamed of watching Will on their wedding day, he imagined the look in Will's eyes when he saw him for the first time as they were coming together, down the aisle. His vision was so vivid; he could even see right down to the color of their flowers and what Jax would look like wearing his little tux. It was an amazing, beautiful thought.

He was snapped out of his daydream by Will patting him on the back gently, nudging him out of his daydream. **_"You still here love?"_** He asked laughing at the little bit of drool that had escaped Sonny's lips. Sonny wiped his mouth with the back of his shirt.**_ "Ha ha, har har...very funny!"_** He quipped as he swatted Will playfully on his backside.

Will opened the kitchen cupboard, pulled out the coffee and the pack of filters and set them on the counter top. Getting a glass of water, he handed it to Sonny, kissing him gently on the cheek..

**_"Thank you. You know babe, if you drink caffeine this late at night, you won't sleep."_** Sonny said with a seductive voice and waggled both eyes at a very enthralled Will.

**_"That's the idea."_** Will said and winked at him for good measure as he continued making coffee.

Sonny walked up behind of him and wrapped his arms around Will's fit waist and laid his chin on his shoulder. Sonny then whispered, **_"I looked up your song Will. I listened to it and think it's beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with me."_** And kissed Will on the ear, nuzzling his nose there for a second longer than usual.

Will began to turn in Sonny's arms when the doorbell rang. Will dropped his head and closed his eyes, **_"I'm going to turn off the doorbell next time it interrupts us."_** He snickered and broke their embrace to get the door.

Will returned to the kitchen with a beautiful artisan vase filled with 24 roses. He looked through the bouquet for a sign of who sent it and found a small envelope addressed to _"Jackson."_ Will flipped it over and unsealed it. His eyes grew wide with annoyance when he realized it was from Patrick Flynn. He wanted to toss the stupid thing but reading further it made him more curious than angry.

**_"Um, babe. Do you know someone named "Randolph MacDunn? Patrick just sent a note with his name, address, and said he was waiting for your call."_**

Sonny dropped the glass of water he was holding, shattering it on the floor. That one name, made his almost perfect world break into a million pieces, just like the glass that hit the floor.


	19. Chapter 19

_** ~~~flashback~~~**_

**_"C'mon Janice, it's time to eat."_** Sonny pulled the food he was keeping warm from the oven and divided it between two plates. **_"Janny, please come eat something. I got your favorite from Brianno's Deli. Oh, and I brought you current on your rent, too._**" He waited just another second before she appeared in the doorway of her tiny kitchen.

**_ "Sonny,"_** she looked at him skeptically,**_ "how did you possibly get enough money in one day to pay two months rent and buy us dinner from Brianno's?" _**Janny put her hands on her hips and asked, questionably.

He waved her off and pulled out one of the mismatched chairs from under her makeshift kitchen table and sat down. **_"You don't need to know the details."_** Seeing her give him a stern look, he added, **_"Just know that someone who can afford to help us, and he did."_**

Trusting her friend of only 5 months and realizing just how hungry she was, she sat down beside of Sonny and dug into her favorite lasagna without further discussion.

**_ ###Three hours earlier###_**

**_ "I thought I would never say this, but I'm almost ready to see if my parents will take me back in."_** Sonny was feeling completely dejected, having unsuccessfully brought in any money over the last several weeks. He was broke. Janice was broke. And his friend, Saul, was broke, too. They hadn't had anything to eat but eggs, and that's only because Sonny and Saul found enough change on the sidewalk to buy a dozen. The worst of it was that Janice was behind on her rent. And if Sonny didn't think of something fast, they'd be without a roof over their heads, too.

**_"Don't do that Sonny. You said you'd never go back there. Remember how they reacted when you came out? You think it's going to be any different now?"_** Saul had a point. Five months were certainly not enough time for all of them to come to terms with what transpired the last time they were all together. And he was still dealing with the fact that them throwing him out of their home was the reason he was in the situation he was currently in.

_**"I know, Saul, and I couldn't go back anyway. No matter how much this sucks now, having no money, at least I'm free to be myself. I don't have to hide who I am, and my friends love me for who I am."** _Sonny said lifting his head a little higher, becoming more comfortable with the decision not to call his parents as he was contimplating a few moments ago.

**_"Exactly. It'll all work out, Sonny, just wait."_** He paused a second before continuing. **_"You know, I did get an offer I'm thinking of taking."_**

_** "What do you mean, you are thinking of taking? If you had an offer for work, why aren't you working?"**_ Sonny didn't understand.

**_"Well, because the offer involves me breaking my number one rule."_** Saul kept his eyes focused on Sonny's as they made their way through the hotel district.

**_"No, Saul, no way. We're not that desperate for money."_**Sonny said horrified. When he started this, they all made a rule. Never have any unprotected encounters. Condoms were important in this line of work. If you didn't have any, you didn't work. It ranked up there with food in order of necessity.

**_"But we are Sonny. He's someone I've been with before, and he says he's tested clean. He just wants one time without any protection. Could it really be that bad?"_** Sonny knows that Saul knows that it could be bad. They've lost far too many friends in their short time on the streets to AIDS/HIV and other STD illnesses.

**_"Saul, it might only be just once. But what if that one time is THE time? Are you willing to take that chance? We agreed that we'd take no jobs without protection. No condom, no sex, no BJ, no nothing. Please - you are my friend. You don't want to end up as sick as James, do you?"_** Sonny knew that this would get to him. James had gotten terribly ill in a very short period and ended up dying alone, in the alleyway near his favorite coffee shop. His body had been released to the neighboring college to use as a teaching tool for students. One thing he knew his friend would have wanted, and a way to honor his memory.

Saul's eyes glazed over and he started shaking his head back and forth, first slowly with little movement and then furiously, determination in his expression. **_"No, Sonny. I don't want to end up like that."_**

**_ "Good,"_** Sonny put his arm around his friend's shoulders, **_"so let's see if we can find another way to get some cash without breaking our number 1 rule, okay?"_**

The night moved slowly and without opportunity. It was as if everyone could sense their desperation, and for that reason, stayed away. They had checked in with others out working, and no one had any money to spare right now. The boys were about to give up when Sonny recognized a client come out of a hotel and start talking to the doorman. They watched as this man pulled out a very thick wallet and passed the doorman a wad of bills.

**_ "Hey,"_**Sonny whispered to Saul,**_ "I know that guy. He's been a client a couple of times. Let me see if he is needing anything tonight. I remember he was a pretty decent guy the times we were together, and he's the CEO of a large company. He can afford to help us out, that's for sure."_** Sonny patted Saul's shoulder and made his way alone to the front of the hotel.

**_ "Randolph, how are you?"_** Sonny pretended to be surprised at having run into him. **_"Sonny, remember?"_** He said with a smile and he stuck his hand out for a polite shake.

Randolph, however, looked mortified. He was known for having a few indiscretions, but his wife and kids, not to mention the other leaders and board members of the company would never understand. He needed to keep this quiet. **_"I remember you Sonny. I just...didn't expect to see you in this neighborhood. Isn't this pretty far away from ...um, home?"_**

**_"It is, actually, but we go where the work takes us."_** He interjected meeting Randolph's hazel eyes. Sonny runs his hand down his chest subtly and licks his lips. He knows that his lips are one of the features Randolph likes most about him. So, Sonny wasn't above using that knowledge to his advantage.

**_ "Well, I have no work for you tonight, I'm afraid. I'm here with work colleagues and couldn't possibly break away. I just stepped out to have a cigarette and have a little chat with my friend, Henri._**" The doorman eyed Sonny suspiciously , familiar with his "kind". Despite the look, Sonny pushed on, this time using a bit of what he knows about Randolph in the hopes of changing his mind.

**_ "Speaking of your family, Randolph, how is your wife? Your kids? I bet you miss them when you are gone." _**He crossed his arms and subconsciously tapped his right foot against the marbled floor.

He glared at Sonny. Sonny was stooping low, but he felt he had no choice.

Smiling tersely, he lightly grabbed Sonny's elbow and led him away from Henri. **_"Fine, Sonny, but just one blow job in the alley, okay? I'll give you 200 euros, then will you leave me alone?__"_**

**_ "Yes, Randolph, I'll leave you alone,"_** and he headed behind the hotel and waited for Randolph to exit the back door of the hotel to meet him.

But things didn't go as planned; Saul saw Sonny head into the alley and followed him. When Sonny was in place, conspicuously waiting for Randolph as he had before, Saul came up behind him. **_ "Sonny?"_**

**_ "Jeez, Saul! You scared me? What the hell do you want? He's going to be out here and ready for me at any moment!"_**

**_"You agreed on 200 tonight?"_**

**_ "Yes, we did."_** Sonny replied short and sweet, desperately wanting Saul to get lost before Randolph saw they were working together.

_**"But Sonny, didn't you see how much cash he had in his wallet as he passed money to the doorman? It was a fucking lot, Sonny, if you didn't see that."**_

**_ "No, I mean yes, I saw that. But I can't just ask him for more because we know he has it?"_**

**_ "Yeah, I guess you are right,"_** responded Saul, slinking back to settle himself on the other side of the garbage dumpster around the corner from the back of the hotel. He made it just in time.

**_"Sonny,"_**Randolph said cautiously, **_"I wasn't sure if I would see you again."_**

**_ "Neither was I. So shall we get down to it? There's an office across the alley that has an easy lock for me to pick. We'd have privacy there."_** Randolph nodded and started to follow Sonny. Just as they were about to approach the door, Saul came out from behind Randolph and hit him over the head with a piece of pipe he found near the dumpster. Randolph collapsed to the ground with a shout.

**_"Now what, Saul? What did you think you were doing? I was about to make us some money!"_** Sonny is pissed off, and Saul can tell.

**_"I know, Sonny, but 200 compared to the thousands in his wallet right now? I was willing to take that chance._**"

Sonny shook his head and reached down to find Randolph's wallet. As long as they were there and he seemed to be out of it, Sonny didn't see that much harm in taking what Randolph had. He could get more anytime he wanted, he was sure this was just small change for him. As he searched for and found Randolph's pocket-book in the inside right lapel pocket of his suit jacket, he opened it and took all the money that we in there. He folded it, put it in his own pocket and laid Randolph's wallet back on his chest, so if the cops found him, it would look like a simple robbery.

Just as Sonny was about to step away, Randolph woke with a start and grabbed Sonny's leg. **_"Shit!"_** he screamed at Saul. **_ "Here, take this and get my half to Janice if I don't make it back, okay?"_**

**_ "No, Sonny, I'm not leaving you!"_** Saul said adamantly.

**_ "You have to. When the cops make it back here, it's better if it's just one of us. Don't get caught just because you want to stick by me. Go!"_** And with that, Sonny passed every bit of money to Saul and turned his attention back on Randolph, who had found the strength to stand up. He was charging hard against Sonny.

Sonny acted on instinct. He flailed, he kicked, he threw punches and found sensitive spots to poke like his eyes and genitals. Randolph growled angrily and lunged at Sonny, but he was too quick and moved just in time for Randolph to end back up on the ground, face first this time. Sonny gave him one last kick in the side and ran off as fast as he could. **_"When I find you...you are going pay severely for this!_**" were Randolph's parting words.

**_#####_**

**_"Thank you so much, Sonny. I'm not sure how you did it, but you saved us from being hungry and homeless._**" Janice was polishing off the last bite of her pasta.

**_"It's nothing. Saul and I just seized an opportunity, which happened to turn out well for us. He ah, helped me, so I gave him a split of the cash."_** Sonny remembered just briefly the look on Saul's face when he came at Randolph with the pipe. He had never seen his friend look so lost, so desperate before, and it broke his heart. And that's why he sent Saul away and took matters into his own hands.

**_~~~Present~~~_**

**_ "Will, why are you even still with me? The things I've done, the people I've hurt over the years...I'm a horrible person." _**Sonny stood up from the table and walked towards the counter. He turned his back from Will, feeling very ashamed of his previous transgressions.

Will stepped closer to him avoiding the broken glass still on the floor and put his hands on Sonny's shoulders. Sonny went to shrug them off, but Will wouldn't stop the contact. **_"You are NOT a horrible person, Sonny. You did what you had to do to survive. You had two other people counting on you, and you thought you had no other choice."_**

**_"Yeah, well, once again, my past indiscretions are coming back to haunt me. I guess Randolph was hurt pretty badly from the beating I gave him, and he went right to the police. Soon after that, Janice and I moved to London and started fresh. I never heard how Randolph was, and I figured he'd want to keep the nature of our relationship under wraps, so I assumed I was free."_** Sonny closed his eyes tightly and ran his hands through his hair.

Will reached under the sink for their dustpan. Scooping all the broken shards, he dumped them into the wastebasket and immediately took the garbage out. He did not want Jax being tempted by shiny, pretty, razor-sharp glass. When he returned, Sonny was no longer in the kitchen. Will had a feeling he knew where he was.

**_ "Sonny, babe,"_** he went right to Jax's bedside where the little boy was sleeping peacefully. Sonny looked up from his kneeling position and grabbed Will's hand.

**_ "I love you little man,"_** Sonny said gently with tears in his eyes. **_ "I did what I had to do for your Mom, and I'll always do what I have to do for you and Dada Will. I'm so sorry."_** Sonny covered his face with his hands and began to cry harder.

**_ "Oh honey, please, stop blaming yourself! You did what you did out of desperation and love. There's nothing wrong with that."_** Will was being too kind Sonny thought.

_** "Tell that to the police in Paris who may still have a warrant for my arrest. Tell that to Randolph who suffered several broken bones and who knows what else. Tell that to my parents, to our friends, to little Jax when he grows up and his Daddy is in jail."**_

Grabbing a distraught Sonny by the hands, Will pulled him out of Jax's room and into their bedroom. He settled Sonny into his arms, stroking his hair and his back, until he heard the even breathing of sleep. Pulling his arm out from behind Sonny, he tucked him under the covers and left the room with his laptop. Will had a lot of research to do, and he wasn't giving up until he found what he was looking for.

**_##One week later##_**

**_"Sonny!"_** Will rushed breathlessly into the coffee shop, startling his brown-haired boyfriend from his tablet.

**_"What's going on, Will? Are you okay? Is it Jax?"_** he gasped and covered his mouth in anticipation.

**_"No. Everyone is okay. I just have some pretty good news to share."_** Will couldn't suppress his smile any longer. **_ "Patrick has been sent back to London."_**

**_ "What do you mean?"_** Sonny couldn't wrap his head around this news. **_"How could that have happened?"_**

**_"Well, it turns out that Patrick owes his ex-wife a significant amount of alimony and child-support back pay. I saw something online about it the other night, so I talked to my Grandpa Roman. He notified the authorities, and now Patrick is being extradited to London to resolve his debts."_**

**_ "Will, don't mess with me. Don't tell me this if it's not true."_**Sonny said as he shifted his weight from foot to foot, looking tense and unsure at the news.

**_ "It's true, Son. I watched him leave in handcuffs. Patrick is not coming back here any time soon!"_** Will looked elated and finally let out a huge sigh of relief. He touched Sonny on the arm, _**"Are you okay, hon?"**_

**_ "I'm more than okay, Will. I cannot thank you enough for sticking by me. You are amazing and thoughtful and beautiful, and I just want to take you back to our place and make passionate love to you while little Jax is away at his Grandma's." _**Sonny said gazing into Will's baby-blue eyes. He couldn't believe that this man had just saved him!

**_ "Well, what are we waiting for? It's pretty slow around here, your staff seems to have everything under control, and we've got at least a couple hours before we have to pick up our son. What do you say?"_** Will smiled and leaned in for a small peck on Sonny's lips to hurry the answer.

**_"I say, take me home, lover."_** And Sonny didn't even remove his apron before he and Will left, hand in hand.


	20. Chapter 20

As Sonny put his key into the door lock at Common Grounds, he couldn't contain the smile on his face. Patrick had been deported and Sonny felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders.

He flipped the light switch on and looked around. **_"Today is going to be a great day,"_** he said to himself as he walked behind the counter and began making the house blend coffee. He started a pot of decaf and french roast, too, making sure he had everything brewing for his first customers. If they had to be up and working in the wee hours of the morning, then he would make sure they had a quality cup of coffee to help get them started. Making sure supplies were stocked and ready, he turned the CLOSED sign around and waited for his regulars to arrive.

The door dinged, and his head lifted up, locking eyes immediately with his mom. He didn't expect her here so early. He didn't really expect her here at all. He shuddered at the memory of the last few times they spoke. Even though he told her time and time again that he was happy and wanted this for his life, she still wasn't loving his choice of partners, nor was she thrilled with being grandmother to a child who wasn't biologically his.

Sonny put on his best fake smile, tried to keep an open mind and gave her a friendly enough _'hello'_. His Mom greeted him back, smiling a little too sweetly, Sonny thought. He watched as she went to the couch, sat down and motioned for him to join her. He poured two cups of black coffee and carried them to where she was sitting. He set one down on the table in front of her and kept the other in his hand. He wasn't ready yet to join her, but he was willing to give her a chance to make nice.

**_"Sonny,"_** she said taking a hesitant breath. **_ "I know I've been critical of you lately, but I can't and won't hide my feelings. I think that this is going to be really hard for you. Raising a child isn't easy and being a gay father will bring additional challenges. I care about you and I just want the best for you, honey."_** She gave her little sly smile, the one that Sonny hated with a passion. His eyes filled with disappointment, for the umpteenth time. He had honestly hoped that she was coming to tell him that despite her concerns, she would support him and Will and Jax. He so wanted her to simply tell him that she loved him and would continue to do so unconditionally. He should have known better. A leopard just doesn't change her spots, right?

_**"Gee, didn't see that coming."**_ He quietly mumbled under his breath with a great deal of sarcasm. He was letting her get to him, which he said he would not do. He cleared his throat, regained his composure and replied, **_"Mom, I love you, I do. But Will and Jax,"_** he paused as he shrugged his shoulders,**_ "are my life now. They complete me; in the same way me and my brothers and Dad complete you. It's no different, no matter what you say. So, please don't make me choose, Mom, because I don't think you'll be happy with the outcome. I need you to understand that this is who I am, and what I want. I chose them almost 8 months ago, and I stand by that choice."_**

Adrienne blew over the top of her coffee and sighed heavily. **"I thought you would say that."** She took another sip and tried again, **_"Is Jax sleeping through the night yet?"_** Sonny wiped his tired eyes and replied, **_"Some nights. Unfortunately last night wasn't one of them. But, it's worth it mom. He's a new person, this little man who I hold in my arms every moment that I can. All I want to do is protect him from the world."_**

The door dinged again, and Sonny made his way to the counter to sign for a package that just arrived. He looked at the box and immediately froze. He didn't need to see any more than the name _"Randolph"_ to know that nothing good was in that box. He called Will and asked him to head to the coffee shop as soon as he could. He was sure he was going to need back-up or a shoulder to lean on when he opened this mysterious package. He got lost in his thoughts, running lists through his mind as to what it could possibly be. He was shocked and stumped. And he was not happy to have this bubble to the surface once again...especially now that he thought they'd have some peace with Patrick finally out of their lives. Why was it always something?

**_"It's because of me,"_** Sonny said aloud, under his breath. _**"My past keeps coming back to haunt us."**_ All the while, his mother remained on the couch watching him, even though he had pretty much forgotten her. That sly smile appeared again, this time it was partnered with a devious twinkle in her eye as Adrienne envisioned her entire plan coming to fruition. After the box delivery, she was one step closer.

_**~~~~~ Flashback~~~~~**_

**_"Is this Randolph MacDunn?"_** An unfamiliar feminine voice quietly asked.

"It is. And who is this?" The rugged male Scottish voice answered.

**_"Hello Mr. MacDunn. I'm glad I was able to get in touch with you. My name is Adrienne Kiriakis and I have a few questions for you,"_** she was cut off when she heard, **"Kiriakis? As in Jackson Kiriakis A.K.A. "Sonny"?_"_** Adrienne was a little surprised he remembered her son so well but recovered quickly. **_"yes,"_** she replied and waited for his response.

There was a pregnant pause and then Randolph MacDunn made his promise: **_"If I ever lay eyes on that Son of a bitch again, I will kill him."_** And then he hung up, leaving her stunned and silenced.

**_~~~~~Present~~~~~_**

Will was hurrying to pack up a diaper bag for Jax so they could to the coffee shop to meet Sonny as soon as possible. He struggled to find the pack of wipes he had borrowed from the bag last night. **_ "Why don't we just get a second one of these things, to have as an emergency backup, for times like this?"_** A frustrated Will asked himself. He heard a small crash followed by a bigger giggle. **_"Crap,"_** he sighed. Not only was Will packing, he was trying to keep a concentrated eye on someone's little sticky fingers. Yes, he did mean sticky fingers both figuratively and literally. Jax was now moving very expertly around the house, usually with either Will or Sonny chasing him from behind. That boy was into everything! Will marveled at how much food and dirt and drool he'd find on himself and not have any idea how or when it got there. He'd never done so much laundry in his entire life.

Finally ready, he fought to get a certain wiggly toddler into the stroller, swung the diaper pack over his shoulders and headed out the door to Sonny. The ride was tense for Will, his mind wandering from his boyfriend and back to the screaming toddler kicking his seat with a fury. **_"Jax,"_** Will tried firmly to ask him to stop. When the fussy toddler started screaming even louder, he just decided to turn on the radio and try to focus on some calming music. Sure, Jax had his incredibly adorable moments, but he also had moments like these...the not so adorable ones.

After a 10 minute ride from hell, he got out of the car and struggled to carry the fighting, tantruming toddler into the coffee-house. Sonny immediately grabbed Jax when Will walked in, trying to coo and soothe the little guy. **_ "Will, he's really hot,"_** he said sounding concerned.

Will sighed, **_"he always feels hot to you Sonny. I think he's fine. He's just having a temper tantrum because I took some things away from him that he shouldn't have. He doesn't like not getting his own way."_** Will walked closer to the bar, wishing he had a beer instead of the cup of coffee Sonny had waiting for him. He sat down and plopped his head on the bar, banging it a few times for effect and then sat up to see the box. **_ "So, you have any idea what this might be?"_** Sonny merely shook his head. **_"Okay, well, then are you ready to open it up and find out?"_** he questioned seriously, watching a worried Sonny continue to fuss over the still cranky Jax.

Sonny walked Jax over to his play area and put him in the pen, which made him scream even louder and angrier. Adrienne, seeing the toddler was starting to affect some customers, offered to take the baby, Without even having to think about it, Will and Sonny both politely said **_"no thank you."_** Will pulled Jax's nook from the bag along with his favorite stuffed animal, a dinosaur named Rex. As soon as the toddler spotted both of Dada Will's offerings, his tears stopped and were replaced by a toothy grin. **_"Wex!"_** Jax cheered as Will handed the dinosaur to him. Sonny smiled and mouthed _"thanks"_ to Will as he headed back to the counter and the unopened box.

Adrienne sat back down on the couch, slightly ticked that they refused her help and resumed drinking her coffee. She very carefully watched her son and his boyfriend. Sonny was going to learn the hard way that life with a significant other and a child was not easy. Right now she could tell the boys were overwhelmed. Sonny and Will both looked exhausted. Adrienne was determined to make Sonny realize his mistakes, even if that meant bringing back one of the most terrible times in her son's life. Even if it dredged up hurtful memories of the other reason Janice sent him back home, and the man who forced Sonny back to where he belonged with his Mom. Will be damned, Adrienne thought angrily, Sonny would never be taken away from her again.

**_~~~~~flashback~~~~_**

She called back. _**"Lady, listen to me good,"**_ she immediately heard. **_ "I have no interest in seeing your good for nothing son. He beat me, stole from me, and left me in the street like some sort of trash. I WILL kill him IF I EVER see him again. Don't make me prove to you that I'm serious about this."_**

He started to hang up, but a persistent Adrienne said, **_"Mr MacDunn, he is with a man who is no good for him and he's raising a bastard child that's not even his. He is ruining his life but he will not listen to a word I say! So, I want to remind him of that time in his past that caused him so much pain, so he will remove the one thing that ties him there. That baby." _**There was a slight pause,**_"And my dear woman, how in the hell do you plan on doing that?"_**

**_~~~~~present time~~~~~_**

**_"No, Will, I can't. You do it...please open it for me?"_** Will sliced open the tape with a sharpened box cutter and slowly opened the panels. He pulled out an object that was wrapped in brown paper and handed it to Sonny. Sonny took a deep breath . Will heard a gasp from the love of his life and then an **_"Oh my, this was his. How did he get it?"_** Sonny turned his attention to Will. **_ "I don't understand, this is Randolph's watch. It's been in my dresser since I got back. How did he get it?"_** Then his eyes went wide with shock, **_"Oh God, Will, he's been in our apartment."_**

Adrienne remained still, sipping her coffee, as the next part of her plan fell nicely into place.


	21. Chapter 21

Sonny and Will were back at their apartment after a long, stressful day at the coffee-house. Not only did it stay busy the entire time, but neither of them could stop thinking about the package that arrived earlier that morning. No matter how much they talked about it, speculated, tried to come up with a viable alternative, there was no way they could deny the obvious: Randolph was here and he was plotting his revenge against Sonny.

Will tucked Jax into his new toddler bed after reading him his favorite "Curious George" book. Jax had been up and down all day, too, as if he were riding the same emotional roller coaster as his dads. Will hadn't even gotten three pages into his book when he heard Jax's breathing even out and a sleepy sigh escape his mouth as he pulled Rex closer and snuggled in. He had continued reading, just a few more pages, taking in the boy's blissful innocence. Despite all the tension and fear swirling around Sonny and Will, Jax could still be pacified by some Cheerios, a perfectly placed raspberry on his belly, his stuffed dinosaur, Rex, and his favorite blanket and a book. Will was a bit envious. But even more so, he was happy; happy that Jax could stay unaffected by all of this chaos.

Walking from Jax's room he intended to go straight into their bedroom when he heard Sonny call him softly from the kitchen. **_"Will?"_**

**_"Babe? What are you doing out here? I thought we were going to try to go to bed early...it has been a really tough day." _**Sonny stood up from the table and grabbed another cup and filled it with hot tea. He then placed a new teabag into it and sat back down at the table.

**_"I know. But I just can't stop thinking about everything, so I fixed a cup of tea and listened to you and Jax. That's when I figured out what I want to do."_** Sonny took a sip of his tea and pulled out the chair next to him at the table and motioned for Will to sit down. Will then started to drink a cup of tea as well.

**_"The sound of that makes me nervous, Son..."_** Will said tentatively sharing Sonny's intense focus.

**_"No, don't be, Will. I've stressed all day about this, how to avoid another situation like with Patrick, how to keep our family together; I even went as far as exploring the idea of moving us somewhere far from here. And that's when it really hit me."_** Sonny paused, cleared his throat and took Will's hand in his. **_ "I want to turn myself in, Will. I want to stop running and finally face up to my past. I need to own what I did and be held accountable for it._**"

**_"No, no, no, you don't have to do that, Sonny. You've more than made up for your past! You took in a sick friend, you are taking care of her son, you do charity work all around town through the coffee-house...you have more than redeemed yourself, Sonny."_** Will was frantic, talking animatedly while squeezing Sonny's hand harder and harder.

**_"Will, I appreciate you saying that. And I'd like to believe that the good I've done more recently counts for something, but I can't continue to live my life in fear. Not with you and Jax with me. Just when situations seem to resolve themselves, something else comes up, like this watch thing with Randolph. This might go away, too, like Patrick did, but then what's next? I don't want to live every day waiting for the other shoe to drop."_** He looked so defeated but at the same time, so at peace. As if he knew that this decision would make his past life of crime mean something more positive at that moment.

**_"Sonny, maybe moving isn't such a bad idea after all? We can start another business, move to state where we can get married and then change our names. We might have to lose touch with our families for a little while until things settle, but it could work, Son, if we get away now."_** Sonny could clearly see the desperation in Will's face. His eyes were wide and pleading, his cheeks flushed from excitement, his teeth almost constantly nipping at his bottom lip; He was completely adorable and completely scared.

**_"Will, you know we can't do that,"_** Sonny responded simply bringing Will's hand to his lips and giving him a small, quick peck along each finger. Will opened his eyes wider as if to say _"why not?"_, but Sonny recognized deep down that Will knew that this was the best and frankly, the only choice he had. **_ "How can I teach our son honesty and integrity if his own Dad isn't even a good example to him? Jax has to learn to trust people, to realize that sometimes good people do bad things, and that the only way to get through it is owning up to those mistakes. I need to be held accountable for what I did all those years ago, Will. It may seem hard now, but I think it's the only way I can live with myself and be a good partner to you and Dad to Jax. Will, I don't have a choice anymore."_** Sonny finished almost in a whisper. It was one of the hardest admissions he'd ever made.

**_"Sonny,"_** Will panted desperately, a tear escaping his eye, **_"what will Jax and I do without you? He really shouldn't be away from his Dada Sonny, he needs you! I don't want to be away from you! I need you! How can I possibly do this on my own?" _**A stream of tears were flowing down Will's face and Will tried to blink them away. He stood up and leaned his body against the counter, needing a moment to himself. Sonny stood up and took a few steps towards Will and turned Will back to face him.

**_"You'll never be on your own, Will. We've said that from the beginning. Between your family, my family, and our friends, you would have plenty of help."_**

**_"I know..."_** Will let his sentence trail off. **_ "I just...I...I love you so much, Sonny. I love our life with Jax. Why can't we just live our lives and be happy? Why, Sonny? Why, why, why?"_** he's practically shouting by the time he finished.

**_"Will,"_** Sonny reached out to take him into his arms, **_"Will you need to calm down, honey. We'll talk through this and talk to our families. We can do this. Together, I believe we can do anything,"_** he said fervently, begging Will to trust him. Sonny walked Will back to the table where they both collapsed into the floor.

**_"I want to believe that, too,"_** Will's words are muffled in the neck of Sonny's shirt.**_ "but I'm just so scared."_**Sonny's heart flipped over at that revelation. This wonderful man that he held in his arms was scared and he put him in that situation. Guilt started creeping in, but he had to shake it away if he was going to get through this. He needed to keep Will strong so that Jax would be taken care of. He dropped his eyes briefly, but made eye contact again.

**_"I know. I am, too. But the only way we can have a life together, the only way I can look at our little boy and raise him to be a good man, is to be one myself."_** Sonny pulled back from Will and met his blue eyes, brighter now from his tears. Sonny could start to feel emotion prickling at the corners of his eyes and looking at Will so frightened and vulnerable, pushed him over the edge. He tried to choke back a sob, but he couldn't hold it in any longer. Grabbing Will in a fierce hug, he let everything go, and the two cried together, fearful for their son, fearful of Randolph and the consequences of him going back to his past to admit his crimes. They both sat back down in the chairs at the small kitchen table, and just hugged each other.

When they both were spent and raw, they stood together from the table and walked hand in hand to Jax's room. Gazing at him from the doorway, the pair took in the sight and smell and sounds of their amazing little boy. Without saying a word, both knew that this moment, standing in Jax's room with each other and their son, could be the last for Sonny for a while. Whispering sweet words of love, they shut the door and made their way into their own bedroom.

As they lay in bed that night, Will felt like he could not get close enough to Sonny. Every time Sonny moved, Will mirrored him until he was tucked snuggly back into his arms. Neither of them slept much, but neither wanted to move from the others embrace. Who knew if they'd have this again tomorrow night? Who knew what the future will bring? Who knew how Jax would handle losing one of his father's for any amount of time?

One thing Will knew for sure. He whispered into the darkness,**_ "Sonny, I love you so much. I love you more than life itself, and I'll be here for you and Jax forever. I'll wait for you for however long it takes. My life wouldn't be worth living if I didn't have the two of you."_**

Sonny smiled into Will's hair and ran his fingers up and down his spine. **_"I love you, too, so much, Will. I know you'll take care of Jax. And I know the two of you will wait for me if I have to go away for a while. Then we'll have the rest of our lives to live, Will, with no more fear of my past, just the three of us." _**He kissed the back of Will's head and snuggled again into the body of his soul-mate.

"**_So," _**Will let out a heavy sigh of resignation,**_ "let's get our family and friends together at the coffee-house tomorrow night, how's that sound? We can tell them together, and we won't have to worry about waking the neighbors with our yelling and crying by having them all come here."_**

**_"Okay, Will. Tomorrow we tell everyone. And we take it from there together."_**

The room filled with gasps, cries and a chorus of _"no's"_ as Sonny and Will told their families. Sonny and Will were holding hands, Jax was playing peacefully in the playpen and their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and best friends were sitting at various tables in the shop. Before any one person could jump in, Sonny held up one hand firmly. **_ "We have already discussed this, and this is our decision, so no matter how hard you try, we won't be talked out of it. Dad, I'll need some legal advice, Roman, I'll need help figuring out how to do this since I attacked Randolph in Paris. I don't have a clue how any of this works."_**

Of all the shocked faces, no one was more surprised and devastated than Sonny's mom, Adrienne. **_ "No, Sonny. You don't need to do this. Isn't there another alternative?"_** She begged him despite what he just said. **_"There's got to be another way to work with this guy. Can't we negotiate with him? See if there is anything else he would accept in order to drop these charges."_** Adrienne knew that in the subsequent message she sent to Sonny as Randolph, she did give him the option of relinquishing custody of Jax as a way to make amends. _ "Randolph"_ said that the boy deserved to live with someone who could set a better example for him. Adrienne figured that without Jax holding them together, Will would soon follow and leave Sonny.

**_"He did give me one other choice, Mom, but it's one I won't even consider. He wants me to give up Jax, but it isn't even an option."_** Sonny dismissed it so quickly that she felt she had to bring it up again.

**_"But Sonny, think about it! You could go to prison, you could be stuck in Paris while all of this is going on, what would happen to Jax then?"_** Sonny mistakes her concern for familial support. Except in her mind, this was her baby who was protecting a whore's baby. Sonny deserved better in her mind than Janice, that woman who turned her sweet little Son into this hustler. How dare she? And then she brings this baby back for him to take care of? Unacceptable! She turned her head to look at Justin for support but her attention was brought back to Sonny when he began speaking again.

_**"Mom, I love you, but I need to do the right thing here. And Will and Jax will be fine on their own. Plus I know that you and our family as well as the Horton/Brady clan will step up while I'm gone.**_**_"_**

**_"Yes, Sonny, we will,"_** Sami spoke softly from the back of the room. You could hear the tears in her cracked voice.**_ "I admire you both. You are stronger than I ever imagined, and I'm so proud."_** Lucas squeezed her hand in moral support and looked across the table at his Mom. Everyone was pretty much in shock, but no one else, but Adrienne, questioned their decision. They all just nodded their support, brushed tears from damp eyes, and wondered what was next in life for Sonny and Will's little family.

**_"I said NO!"_** Adrienne stood from her seat and started to pace. Justin tried to calm her, he took her hand and tried to get her to sit back down, but she was inconsolable. **_"How could you let this happen? How could you steal and hurt someone, Sonny? How come you didn't feel the need to turn yourself in then? Huh? When Janice was still alive and forced you into THAT life."_**

Sonny's eyes began to water at the harshness of his mother's words against himself and Janice. Will chose to ignore the comment to keep the peace and spoke slowly and methodically. **_"Because everything has changed now, Mrs. Kiriakis,"_** Will stepped in front to protect Sonny. **_ "Raising a child, that teaches you so much about honesty, trust and integrity. Sonny wants to be a good example for his son. He's such a great dad, you should be proud."_**

**_"Proud? I don't think so Will!"_** Adrienne continued to rant. **_"This child isn't even his! He's not yours, Will, and we don't actually know who the father is. Why would you give up your life for a bastard child?" _**Will stepped closer to Adrienne and further in front of Sonny. He didn't need to be affected by this woman any more.

At that point Sonny, Will and several others had heard enough. Before Will could retort, Justin beat him to the punch. **_ "Adrienne,_** **_we are all having a hard time with this, so I understand your frustration. But shouting at our son right now, questioning his decisions both now and from his past, that is just unfair and cruel. Can't you see how much pain his is in already? You've only made things worse, I'm afraid. And will continue to do so if you do NOT sit down this instant."_** He tried to get Adrienne to stop pacing and sit back down.

**_"No, Justin, it won't work this time. The only option I'll accept is for them to give up Jax. There are plenty of people out there looking for young children to adopt. Don't ruin your life for this baby, Sonny, I beg you."_** Adrienne looked desperately at Sonny, pleading with him to change his mind.

**_"Mom, Randolph's message made it clear - give up the boy or my freedom. I know my only option is to turn myself in and own up to what I did. I need to be truthful for once, and set a good example for my son."_** Sonny said as he stared in bewilderment into his mother's unfamiliar eyes.

**_"Sonny! Gosh you are so stubborn! You don't even know for sure that it's Randolph who took that Cartier watch from your drawer anyway, do you?"_** The words were out before she realized what she said.

But Sonny caught on right away. **_"Mom, how do you know where the watch was at our apartment? I never told anyone...not even Will." _**Will's jaw dropped at the knowledge it was hidden right under his nose, but for Sonny he recovered quickly. he needed to be able to stand there and support his love to this woman.

**_"Oh, Sonny, I just guessed. That's where everyone keeps their prized possessions. You used to stash coins and cards in your drawers as a kid. I assumed you still hide things there."_** Adrienne scrambled herself to remain calm and blow it off as just a coincidence. But on the inside, her heart was pounding right out of her chest. She didn't know how easily those words could pop out when pushed.

**_"Okay, Mom, you are right about that. But how did you know the brand of the watch?"_** Sonny questioned her pointedly, glancing back at Will to make sure he was doing okay.

**_"What? I-I didn't..."_**

**_"You did, too, Adrienne."_** Justin spoke. **_"Yes,"_** EJ echoed Justin, **_"I heard it and so did everyone else."_** The room, filled with Kiriakis', Brady's, Horton's who were typically at adds with each other, banded together against Adrienne.

**_"You better tell me what's going on right now."_** Justin was furious. **_ "In fact this whole room deserves an explanation. Especially Sonny, you know, the child you claim to love. "_**

Adrienne continued to stand and everyone could see the various expressions change on her face. First it was anger which turned into smugness, followed by doubt, and then eventually terror. She turned and started to run towards the door, but Sonny got there first.

**_"You have some explaining to do, Mom. I think it's time we sit down and have that chat you wanted to have at the coffee-house."_**

Adrienne went back to the table, slumped in her chair and started sobbing into her hands. **_"I just want what's best for you, Sonny! I'm your mother, I raised you for so many years, we've watched you live a successful life after coming back from London. You deserve so much better than to be tied down by Will and Jax."_**

**_"Excuse me?"_** Sami jumped in as did Marlena.

**_"Adrienne,"_** it was Marlena who continued, **_"your son is a good man, and you've helped make him the person he is today. Don't you realize that this is a reflection on you and Justin? You raised him to be a loyal friend, a dedicated, supportive partner and a wonderfully loving Dad to a little boy, who without him, would be bounced around from foster home to foster home for most of his life."_**

**_"I do realize that,"_** Adrienne conceded,**_ "but just as passionately as Sonny wants to take care of Jax, that's the way I feel about him! I need to protect my baby!"_**and she let out a broken cry. Her outburst startled Jax, who immediately looked at his Dads with concern.

**_"Dada?"_** he stared at Sonny. Lucas went to the playpen and lifted Jax out. He grabbed a puzzle and expertly distracted him, so Sonny could respond.

**_"That's just it, Mom,"_** Sonny said softly with a sad smile. **_ "I'm not your baby anymore, and I don't need you to protect me. I wish you had felt the same way all those years ago when I came out to you and you chose to kick me out instead of support me. It's too late, Mom. I thought you had changed, but I'm wrong. This is the last and final straw. And as far as Janice is concerned, she was my best friend; like a sister to me. Don't you EVER disgrace her memory again, especially in front of her son. Remember, I met her because you kicked me out."_**

**_"So you took the watch from Sonny's drawer?"_** Will put two and two together, and he was sure the rest of the room had as well, but he needed to hear it from her. He knew that Sonny did, too.

They all sat in silence for a few minutes, waiting, trying to take everything in. Finally, Adrienne spoke. **_ "Yes I took the watch. Yes I sent it to you here. Yes, I talked to Randolph to get the information I needed to make this believable. Yes, I wanted you to give up Jax and leave Will. Yes, I did it all. Are you happy?"_** Her eyes spanned the room, meeting just about everyone's with the same cold stare.

Sonny was shocked. **_"So, Randolph is involved in this? You contacted him after all these years, Mom? I told you what happened in the strictest of confidence, and you betray me?"_** He couldn't believe what she had done. **_ "Well, then, your involvement doesn't really change anything, does it, Mom? He knows now where I am. He will find me. I still need to do what I intended and that is to turn myself in. Roman, can you walk me through what this process might look like? I don't even know where to start."_**

**_"No,"_** Adrienne interrupted.

**_"Mom, sit down, please. This is my decision, and I'm finally going to do the right thing."_**

**_"No, that's not what I mean."_** She took a moment before giving up her final truth. **_ "I called him back last night to update him on my, umm, progress, and I spoke to his wife."_** She swallowed and continued on, **_"Randolph was in a car accident two weeks ago. He didn't make it. Sounds like from the articles I could find that he had been drinking and then on his way home, his car crossed the median and hit a large truck head on. He was dead at the scene."_**

**_"So, there is no more Randolph?"_** Sonny was incredulous. This whole evening had been so surreal. In fact, these last months...this last year felt like a bad soap opera.

**_"Yes, Sonny, he's dead."_**

**_"Which means, Sonny and Will, that any charges against you would be dropped; there would no longer be a case against you."_** Roman clarified for them.

Sonny just nodded, letting it all sink in. **_ "Please, Dad, get her out of here,"_** for now, Sonny maintained complete control as his Dad escorted a very distraught Adrienne out the door. **_ "Everyone else, thank you for your support. We could not do any of this without you. And I know I speak for Will when I say that we are so grateful and love you all very much."_** Sonny grabbed Will's hand and walked to where Jax was playing with his puzzle. Picking him up, Sonny kissed the toddler's head and pulled him close.

**_"Dada and Dada Dill!"_** Jax smiled at the both of them. **_ "Home?"_** he questioned excitedly and squirmed to get down.

**_"Yes,_**" both Sonny and Will answered him at the same time. **_ "Let's go home,"_**Sonny finished and the three left the coffee shop, hand in hand.


	22. Chapter 22

Will walked into the buzzing apartment, his arms full of paper bags from the grocery store. He smiled as he saw Sonny dancing, holding Jax in his fatherly grasp, and singing into his little sippy cup. Jax was full of life and giggles, and Will couldn't help but sit back and watch the two. It was so nice to come home to a relaxed and carefree household. Will wasn't sure he would ever experience that again, considering the last few months had been difficult to say the least. Patrick coming back, the threat of Randolph, Sonny's mom conspiring against the two; Will didn't know how they could have such a bumpy start with so many unexpected turns and still be so happy and together at the end.

He set the bags on the table and decided the milk could wait a few minutes while he danced with his 2 favorite boys. Will peeked around Sonny's shoulder and made silly faces at Jax, which set the toddler off into more giggle fits followed by: _**"funny daddy Dwill."**_ The last few days Jax's pronunciation had became clearer and they could understand a lot more of his words. For example, one day a few months ago when they were out and about with Abby, Jax kept saying what sounded like _**"daya, daya"**_ and he'd reach up. It wasn't until Abigail leaned over to see if she could figure out what he wanted when he yelled _**"daya!"**_ very loudly, pointed at her and smiled. Now that his language was improving, she was now **_"bee-dail",_** and Will and Sonny were quite proud of his improvement.

**_"You think I'm funny, do you buddy?"_** Will asked as he leaned in and stole a quick kiss from Jax and a much longer kiss from Sonny. Stepping back from the two, he let them dance their way from the kitchen to the living room, so he could start putting up the groceries.

**_"Hey babe,"_** Will said nonchalantly, **_"I think we should put Jax to bed early tonight if we can. There's something I want to talk to you about."_** He paused putting away the groceries and nervously fumbled with the ring box in his pants pocket.

**_"Ok,"_** Sonny said as he looked sideways to Will. **"Is there anything specific that we need to talk about or do you just want some alone time."** He waggled his eyebrows and sent a playful smile Will's way.

Will chuckled, **_"Sonny, the pragmatic one."_**

Sonny chuckled back and responded, **_"Will, the impulsive one._**" Flirtation was in the air.

_"Impulsive, you have no idea."_ Will thought to himself as he smiled, feeling better about the ring.**_ "No, it's been busy and I just want a movie night and time with you to talk, that's all."_** Will resumed putting away the groceries. He pulled the milk from the bag, put it in the refrigerator and turned back to face Sonny.**_ "Well, what do you think?"_**

They both turned their eyes to Jax, who was now playing quite energetically with his toy cars. _**"Vwoom, Vwoom!"**_ He'd say and race up the side of the couch onto the back cushions to the side table and back to the floor. Sonny grinned at their son, walked to Will and wrapped his strong arms around Will's waist as he leaned in for a chaste kiss. He said and kissed him a second time, **_"But in order to do that, I think we're going to need to run off some energy."_ ** They both laughed as Jax's car race took him into the kitchen, up Will's leg, across his stomach, over to Sonny's and back down. **_"I suggest the park."_**

Will pecked a kiss on Sonny's forehead and smiled. **_"Yep, I think that's a fine idea."_ ** So, they packed up their son and headed to the one place they knew would wear Jax out completely.

An hour later and an exhausted Jax later, their baby boy was sound asleep and the boys were propped in front of the television watching _"Stand by Me_".

Will leaned into Sonny's side as Sonny snuggled him closer. The two had become practically inseparable. They read each other so incredibly well that it sometimes felt like they didn't need to speak to know the other's thoughts. It was one of the most amazing things Will had ever experienced and now finally understood why people said, **_"we were meant for each other"_** about their significant others. For Will, this wasn't a choice, just like being gay wasn't. This was kismet, it was an inevitable fate, and Will truly believed that Sonny was the only person in the world for him. Sonny was meant for Will. And Will was meant for Sonny.

Will _turned_ up the baby monitor just to hear his little guy and relaxed more into the man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Will looked up at Sonny, who was engrossed in the movie and tried to gain the nerve to say the words he had been dying to say for the longest time. **_ "Mmmmm...this is such a great movie,_**" Sonny mumbled, interrupting his thoughts, still intensely focused on the television screen.

He reached his hand up to cup Sonny's face, and turned his head to face his. **_"It is,"_** Will whispered back. Looking deeply in Sonny's eyes he leaned in for a slow, sensual kiss. When he leaned back, he smiled and he knew, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Sonny would say _"yes"_ when asked. This was it, the moment he had been waiting for, he was going to pop the question and hopefully make this relationship official.

Static was heard over the baby monitor and it snapped Will out of his fantasy. Sweet little words from their son were heard next.

**_"Wex, wuv you,"_ **the little voice says, which was followed by a **_"roar"_** (which actually sounded more like **_"wore"_**. The boys could only guess it was Rex saying he loved Jax back. **_"Wuv you daddy,"_** he said and then answered with **_"daddy wuv Jax."_** It was something Sonny made sure he said to Jax every single day, so that the little man would never forget. Will could see the tears well up in Sonny's eyes. It was the first time he responded back and Will knew how long Sonny had waited to hear those words. Will found himself overcome with emotion as well watching his lover listening in to the conversation he was having with his stuffed dinosaur. But what came next surprised him and hit him deep to his core. **_"Wex, Jax wuv daddy Dwill."_** His breath caught, he couldn't breathe. Every emotion from love to happiness ran through his body. The two boys were sitting on the couch motionless and were so caught up in the moment that Will forgot all about his nerves.

He went to reach for the ring, but Sonny jumped off of the couch and bounded into Jax's room. Jax, startled by Sonny running in so fast, dropped Rex out of the bed and began to wail. He was picked up by strong arms and bounced after his beloved dinosaur was handed back to him. For the next hour, he was showered with kisses and snuggles from his fathers, the fathers who vowed to love him, the fathers who vowed to take care of him. It was an unspoken promise that night that no harm would ever come to this small family, and Will was waiting for the perfect moment to break the silence and propose. They sat back and finished the movie while holding Jax and roaring with Rex.

As the movie ended, and Jax had fallen back asleep in his father's arms, Will heard the closing credits for the movie:

**_When the night has come_**

**_and the land is dark_**

**_and the moon is the only light we'll see_**

**_No, I won't be afraid, no I won't shed a tear_**

**_Just as long as you stand, stand by me._**

He smiled because he knew that Sonny would always stand by him. And Will would always stand by Sonny. Feeling the appropriateness of this movie's message, he contemplated adjusting his proposal plan a little and do it right then and there Jax was such an integral part of their life together that it almost seemed wrong to ask Sonny without their son present. Will took a deep breath, felt once again for the round band hidden in his pocket and turned back to Sonny. They smiled at each other widely, taking in the beautiful sight, who happened now to be snoring lightly in Sonny's arms.

**_"We have an amazing son, you know,"_** Sonny spoke with unbridled pride in his voice.

Will kissed Sonny and Jax softly on the cheek, and responded **_"Yes, I do know."_** Will lightly ran his fingers through Jax's strawberry blonde hair, which caused Jax to startle awake.

**_"Jax, night,"_** he murmured still intoxicated from sleep, **_"night, night, Daddy, night, night Daddy Dwill, night, night, Wex..."_** and he carried on softly, still mostly asleep.

**_"I think he's ready for his own bed once again,_**" Sonny said as he picked him up and headed for Jax's room.

Nodding, Will agreed, and let Sonny take him there. **_"Thwarted once again!"_ ** Will thought to himself. **_"But then again, we have time, right?"_**


	23. Chapter 23

A month later, Will was still remembering the night he had planned to ask Sonny to marry him. When his almost-proposal was interrupted by a very adorable, very chatty Jax, he set aside his plan for some quality family moments. _"We have time,"_ he had thought that night. And as it turned out, time was proving to be a formidable enemy. Time meant that Will started second-guessing himself; Was it too soon after all the drama with Sonny's past? Should they wait until Jax was a little older? Was the wound of Sonny's mother's deception still too painful? What if Sonny wasn't ready to take this last step with him? Maybe not proposing that night happened for a reason. Maybe their relationship was fine the way it was. Maybe proposing marriage was a bad idea after all.

Now that 30 days have passed and they are still not engaged, Will can't help but wonder if he's made the right decision to wait. His heart is telling him one thing and his head the other, and he's having serious problems knowing which one to listen to. They are both quite loud.

Abby walked into the pub right at that time, snapping him out of the conversation he was having with himself. Will didn't know if he was grateful she showed up then or sorry that his deep thoughts were disrupted. Knowing that it didn't matter either way since Abby was already there, he made his way to the table she had grabbed near the front. He put on his genuinely fake smile and mustered up the ability to return to reality.

**_"Will! Hi there my second favorite cousin!"_** Abby rose from her chair to give him a big hug. She leaned back and smiled, looking up at her cousin.

**_"Uh, second favorite? What's that about? I suppose Sonny is your favorite?"_** Will teased, lightly bumping her on the shoulder.

**_"Nope. He's tied for second place with you,"_** she replied looking smug, crossing her arms.

**_"What? I don't understand this nonsense. If we are tied at number 2, who is your number 1, Abby?" _**He asked somewhat perturbed because the three of them are quite close, and Will has helped Abby get through several difficult break-ups. He gave an adorable pout that made Abby smile wider and almost laugh at the man standing in front of her.

**_"Oh Will! I wish I had taken a picture of you right then! You were pouting! You know I'm messing with you, right? I was just trying to have some fun."_**

**_"Okay, Abby. So, I really am your favorite, right?_**" Will finally sat down across from her.

**_"Sorry, still a "no" Will. Allie is my current BFF and favorite cousin at the moment. I watched her the other night, and we had so much fun painting nails, doing hair and sharing girl-talk that she knocked you and Sonny down a level. But you can get in on the nail painting, hair-doing action if you want...I'll make sure to ask you next time."_**

**_"Girl talk Abby? That's a deal breaker for me."_** The two laughed and Will took Abby's order.

Coming back out from the kitchen with her food and seeing an empty pub, Will sat back down across from Abigail to catch up a bit more.

**_"Speaking of favorite cousins, how is Sonny these days?"_** She inquired tentatively, knowing that every time she asked Sonny that question, he always responded, **_"I'm fine."_** But she didn't totally believe him.

**_"He seems to be doing pretty well, Abs. He has some nightmares still but over all, he doesn't flinch every time his phone rings or run to the back room when a package is delivered." _**Will absentmindedly picked up a fry off of her plate, eyes down-turned in remembrance of Sonny's past few months.

**_"And things are good between the two of you...if you know what I mean?"_** Abby winked to make sure he understood. She wasn't very subtle.

**_"Yes, Abby, things are great in that department. I love him very much, and we make time for each other." _**Will looked up at her and gave a half-hearted smile.

**_"So, have you talked any more about marriage? I know you were thinking a while ago about proposing."_** Will bit his lower lip as she brought up the one thing he could not stop thinking about all day. Maybe it would help if he talked it out with Abby.

He sighed heavily and began, **_"I think about it every day, Abs. I was even close - ring in my pocket and everything - and then something came up and I didn't do it and now I'm wondering if I even should. Maybe it's too soon after all the shit we've been through." _**The insecure Will was back and that worried Abby a bit. He looked back down to the table and then sighed again.

Abby sat in silence for a minute, nibbling on her sandwich before she spoke. **_"Will, you are an idiot."_**

**_"Okay, jeez, Abby! First you come in and tell me I'm no longer your favorite cousin and now you tell me I'm an idiot. I'm not sure I can handle all this flattery. Gosh, I'm so glad you stopped by."_** Will's voice dripped with sarcasm. He started to stand up, but Abby put her hand on his arm and motioned for him to sit back down.

**_"No, Will, that's not what I meant. Not exactly. I mean, I meant that you are being an idiot thinking you shouldn't propose. You know Sonny adores you; he loves you more than anything, and Jax loves you, too. You three are really the perfect family, Will. I'm envious of that special connection you all have. You know Sonny will say 'yes', don't you?"_** She reached across the table to put her hand on Will's.

**_"That's what I always thought, Abby. But lately we've both been so busy, he's got a new business venture, and I've got some really hard classes...I just started thinking maybe we should wait."_** Will finished with a shrug.

**_"Do you love him?"_** Abby demanded.

**_"Yes, of course."_**

**_"Does he love you?"_**

**_"Yes."_** He answers simply, wondering where she was going with this.

**_"Do you love Jax?"_**

**_"Gosh, yes! So much!"_** How could anyone** NOT** love that little boy.

**_"And do you want the three of you to be a family? Is that what you want most, Will?__"_**

Will paused and smiled at Abby from across the table. **_"Yes. Me and Sonny and Jax officially a family...well, that would be my dream come true."_**

**_"Then it's the right time. Don't hesitate, Will. There's never going to be a more right time then now to make your dreams come true. You need to propose."_** Abby's eyes suddenly opened wide,**_ "And I have the perfect idea for how you should do it!"_**

Decorating the coffee shop for Jax's third birthday party, Sonny couldn't help but get a bit nostalgic looking at some of the framed pictures they were setting on each table. He had found some adorable pictures of Jax as a baby, like just a couple months old, in an old box of Janice's stuff he discovered while looking for a copy of Jax's birth certificate. He was such a bubbly, happy baby. And he looked so much like Janice. Sonny even found a picture of the two of them together, and he decided to keep it for Jax's baby book. No matter the circumstances, no matter their past, Jax would always know who his Mom was. And someday, as promised, Sonny would tell Jax all about his amazing mother and give that picture to him.

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't even hear Will coming up behind him. Will wrapped his arms around Sonny's waist and asked,**_ "how's everything coming along?" _**Will kissed Sonny lightly on the neck as he nestled his chin into the base of Sonny's neck.

**_"I can't believe our baby is 3," _**is all he could manage. Will turned Sonny around into his arms and seeing the dampness in the other man's eyes, he began running his hands up and down his back to comfort him.

**_"I know, Son. I can't believe it either. But I think we've done an incredible job so far of raising a bright, funny, sweet and happy boy, don't you?"_**

Sonny just nodded into Will's neck, not wanting to move from Will's warm embrace. They stood there for a few minutes before Will got them back on task. **_"Sonny, though I'd like to stay here with you like this, we do have to finish up before everyone arrives."_**

**_"I know. Remind me again, what time is your Mom bringing Jax by? And what time does the party officially start?"_** Will stepped back from Sonny and smiled as he recited to him one more time that his Mom was bringing Jax at 1:30 and then the rest of the guests should arrive at 2pm.

Glancing at his watch, Sonny immediately started bustling around the shop again, adding the final touches and making sure everything was just right.

Will stood there for a minute, watching his wonderfully nervous boyfriend run around frantically, even though everything was almost completely ready. He once again fiddled with the small ring box he had in his pocket. If anything he should be the nervous one. Will and Abby had come up with a pretty wonderful proposal idea and though he was excited about it, he also knew that pulling it off perfectly would require lots of luck.

Just then Will's Mom arrived with Jax. The newly 3-year old came bounding into the coffee-house and ran right towards Will. **_"Daddy Dwill!"_**He lifted his arms in the air, wanting to be picked up. For Will hearing this beautiful little boy call him _"daddy"_ was an amazing sound and something that he never wanted to stop.

**_"Hey buddy! How was your time with Nana S? Did you have fun?" _**He said as he picked up the chubby little boy, swinging him in the air before settling him back down on the ground.

**_"Yes. Now I weady fo my paa-ty."_** Jax said in his toddler-speak. Becoming nostalgic like Sonny, Will picked him up and nuzzled his neck which tickled him with his stubble. **_"Daddy, top!"_** But he kept giggling and Will kept tickling. Finally, when they were both a bit breathless, Will set Jax down and straightened up the clothes that were now sort of mussed.

As he smoothed out Jax's shirt and vest, he whispered to him, **_"do you remember what Daddy Will taught you?"_** Jax nodded his head excitedly. **_"Do you remember when to do it?"_** Another equally as enthusiastic nod. **_"Good. I love you buddy. This is going to be a great party!"_**

**_"Wuv you Daddy Dwill. Can I pway now?"_** Jax already started to move to the toy area.

**_"Yep, but just don't get too wound up and don't ruin your clothes. That would make Daddy very unhappy. He picked your outfit out himself."_**

**_"Otay,"_** and he was off to find his favorite trucks.

During the party, Will found time to talk with everyone in attendance to make sure they new the plan. He was getting more and more nervous, realizing that in a matter of hours their lives could be - would be - changed forever.

Sonny put Jax in his highchair as Abby brought out his birthday cake, three large candles flickering brightly as she walked toward them. The lights were dimmed and the brightness from the candles cast a wonderful glow on Jax's face as his mouth opened in surprise. The cake was in the shape of a dinosaur, and as soon as Abby got it right in front of him, Jax exclaimed,**_ "Wex! Daddy, Daddy Dwill...the cake is Wex!" _**Jax stood up in his seat, and Sonny had to grab on to the little tyke before he could jump head first off the chair, into the cake. He was sat back down, and the cake was lowered in front of him to start the tradition of blowing out the candles.

Sonny and Will chuckled openly and winked at each other, knowing this was the most perfect party theme for their son. Knowing Jax would not be able to hold off from blowing those candles out for long, Will started singing **_'Happy Birthday'_** and the rest of their family and friends stood and joined in. Jax even helped a little and his dads had to stifle their laughter as they heard the random, **_"birf-day, Jax, happy birf-day, you,"_** as he tried to sing the song with the rest of the group.

Leaning Jax over just a little, Sonny told him, **_"take a big breath now, Jax, and blow out your candles!"_** And to help, Sonny and Will breathed in with him and then Jax proceeded to blow out the three candles easily all by himself. **_"Nicely done, Jax!" _**His Daddy said and gave him a high-five. The rest of the group clapped, but instead of sitting back down, they all stayed standing and hovered around Jax and his Dads. Abby set the cake down on the table as Chad brought Will's guitar out from the back room.

All of a sudden, Sonny looked worried and questioned Will with his eyes. Will just smiled admiringly and started strumming.

**_"When the night has come, and the land is dark, and the moon is the only light we'll see."_** Will's voice was clear and strong and Sonny could not figure out what was going on. Will's family started in with the second line of the sentimental song, lending their love and support to this union. He knew that Will's family loved him, but he had that little voice in the back of his head that occasionally made him doubt. Adrienne, his own mother, added fuel to that fire a few weeks back. Now seeing these people sing to him took all of those insecurities away. **_"No I won't be afraid, oh, I won't be afraid just as long as you stand, stand by me."_**

Sonny's shock grew even greater when the entire rest of the room began singing along with Will, **_"So darling, darling stand by me, oh stand by me, oh stand, stand by me, stand by me__.__"_** Sonny began to tremble with happiness and joy when he realized that everyone was giving him what he needed and knew they were giving him all along: love and support. He looked over to Jax who was smiling and singing his version of, **_"Tan by daddy, oh I tan by daddy."_**

Will took over once again. He looked into Sonny's eyes, which were brimming with tears, and he was afraid himself that he wouldn't be able to hold it together. But he remembered how perfect he wanted this moment to be, how he was about to make all his dreams come true, and he took a calming breath. **_"If the sky that we look upon should tumble and fall, all the mountains should crumble to the sea. I won't cry, I won't cry, no, I won't shed a tear just as long as you stand, stand by me."_**

Once again the room filled with the sound of Sonny's dearest family and friends helping Will to serenade him. He was so flabbergasted he couldn't stop looking at everybody in awe. **_"And darling, darling stand by me, oh stand by me, oh stand now, stand by me, stand by me."_**

They continued to sing as Will gave the guitar back to Chad, picked up Jax from the high chair and walked towards Sonny. Jax, now catching on the real lyrics, began singing with his father to his daddy.**_ "So darling, darling, stand by me, oh stand by me, oh stand now, stand by me, stand by me."_** And what Sonny heard next blew his mind. His 3-year-old son, Jax, Jackson Eion Kiriakis, proudly sang solo to his Daddy, **_"when-evaa you in twuble won't you tand by me..."_** and his handsome boyfriend, Jax in his arms, finished the song together, now standing just mere inches from Sonny. **_"Oh stand by me, oh won't you stand now, stand by me."_** It was the most amazing sound Sonny had ever heard; Will's voice was tender and perfectly on pitch and Jax's voice was tender, in his childish way, and perfectly NOT on pitch. Sonny let the tears fall freely as the song ended.

He looked like he was going to say something, but Will wouldn't let him. He grabbed Sonny's hand in his and started speaking from his heart, trying to remember everything he wanted to say.

**_"Sonny, I know that song is so special to us, we have been through so much in so little time, but honestly, no matter how hard it got, I never wanted to be anywhere else but by your side. I know you still worry about your past, about your baggage, but I believe that it helped bring you and Jax to me. So, I will never consider it a burden - I will think of it as a gift. I can't imagine my life without you or Jax, you both have made me a better man, and I love you so much. So, Sonny, Jax,"_** Will looked from the toddler still in his arms to the incredible man right in front of him,**_ "my life will only be complete if you stand by me, for the rest of our lives. Will you do me the great honor of marrying me?"_**

Sonny couldn't speak. Rarely was he ever without something to say, but Will's proposal left him completely speechless. Closing his eyes tightly for moment, letting even more tears fall, he nodded and smiled, gazing into the deep blue sea of Will's eyes. **_"Is that a yes?"_** Will whispered, his face close to Sonny's, noses almost touching.

**_"What do you say Jax?"_** Sonny wrapped his arm around Jax and onto Will's shoulder. He let go of Will's hand and swiped at the dampness gathering at his chin. **_"Jax, should we marry Daddy Will?"_**

**_"Yes!"_** Jax yelled and Sonny agreed his voice choked with emotion, **_"yes, Will, yes. We will marry you."_** And with that, Will leaned in and brushed Sonny's lips with his ever so softly. They continued to kiss gently, sweetly, to the giddy applause of their party guests. But they were oblivious to it...completely entranced with one another.

**_"Daddys!"_** Jax chimed in, not to be forgotten.

**_"Oh, do we need to kiss you, too?"_** Will teased pulling away from Sonny just enough to grin mischievously at their son. They smothered him with loud, sloppy kisses, and Jax squealed and giggled with pure joy. After the onslaught, Jax squirmed to get down, and he ran into the open arms of his Papa Justin.

**_"Congrats buddy!"_** Justin said hugging him close and kissing his cheek. He wished for a moment that Adrienne would have been able to be there. After witnessing this demonstration of total, unconditional love and devotion, there could be no doubt left in even her mind, that these two weren't made for each other. Clearly they belonged together, and now would be forever.

With Jax gone, Sonny pulled Will into his arms one last time. **_"That was so beautiful, Will. It was amazing, you are amazing. I'm so happy."_** They kissed a little more until Will pulled away suddenly.

**_"Oh my gosh! I forgot to give you the ring!"_** He reached into his pocket to reveal the little black box that had spent lots of time in many of Will's pockets over the last month.

Slipping it on Sonny's finger, he pulled out the second and had Sonny put it on his. **_"These are engagement rings, I want us to wear them until we get married and then pick out something for all three of us to wear to solidify our bond. Thank you, Sonny, for agreeing to marry me...for making my dreams come true."_**

**_"This is my dream, too, Will. And I will always stand by you."_**

**_"From now on, we stand together."_** Will proclaimed proudly and sealed their promise with another kiss.


	24. Chapter 24

**_"No, no, no!"_** Will shouted into the phone. **_"I said salmon, not rose-pink. There is a difference between the two! A BIG DIFFERENCE!"_**

Sonny walked up behind his fiancé and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, which Will immediately shrugged off in frustration.**_ "I want the napkins to be salmon and the table cloths to be cream. Are you able to do that?"_** He paused for a moment, waiting for a response and smiled apologetically at Sonny. **_"Great. Thank you."_** Will was curt but not rude as he angrily pushed the end button and turned to face his bemused husband-to-be.

**_"Sorry sweetie. Who would have thought that picking out linens would be so hard?"_** He threw his hands up in the air to add to the dramatics. **_ "I don't want pink napkins, I want salmon. You know how much I love that color, _****_Sonny."_** Sonny ran his hands through Will's hair and let the blond boy vent, while secretly snickering to himself about the absurdness of the situation. _"Groomzilla __Will"_ Will walked into Sonny's arms and sighed. **_ "You're okay with me planning the wedding?"_**

Will could hear the baritone laughter of Sonny deep within his chest and he answered, **_"yes, but I want to take care of the flowers and Jax."_**

Will sighed defeatedly,**_ "deal."_**

**_"Do you think we should get your mom to help us with the details? I mean, she has been married what? 4 times?"_**

Will leaned back and laughed, slapping Sonny on the chest, **_"Stop, she has not...ok, maybe she has. But do you really want mom so involved in our wedding planning? She would take the reins and never look back."_** Sonny grabbed his love back in a hug and laughed. Will's breath caught in this throat as he looked up and saw Sonny's hair move across his face, the twinkle in his eyes from laughing and thought to himself, _"how did I get so lucky?"_

__

**_"Sonny! We have an appointment with grandma, and we're late!"_** Will yelled as he was picking up the diaper bag and Jax. Sonny came hurriedly out of the bedroom, buttoning his jacket and taking the diaper bag from Will.

**_"Let's go,"_** he answered rushing out the door. They had finally decided to get help planning their wedding; instead of Sami like Sonny suggested, they decided to go with Grandma Caroline. She has seen her share of weddings, and they both agreed that she would make an amazing planner. She's organized but not too obsessive, she's laid back but not careless, classy but not pretentious.

Sitting down at a table in Brady's Pub, Will pulled out their notebook and started going through the guest list, while they waited on his grandma to finish wiping down the bar. Sonny set Jax up in a booster seat next to them and gave him an unlimited supply of paper and crayons.

**_"We need to be able to sit mom and EJ together but away from Rafe and dad, but on the same side. My aunt Carrie and Uncle Austin away from mom and Rafe. My grandma Kate away from mom. Aunt Maggie and your Uncle Victor away from EJ,"_** Will said banging his head a few times on the table. Sonny reached over to give Will's hand a supportive squeeze. **_"This isn't going to be fun, is it?"_** Will squeezed back, shaking his head in frustration.

**_"Can I make a suggestion?"_** Grandma Caroline said calmly as she walked up to their table. **_ "What if we let the guests sit wherever they want?"_** She looked at the boys sweetly and laid her hands on top of both of theirs. **_ "Don't over think this. I know you want it perfect, and it will be perfect for you. But don't make it so hard that you won't enjoy your day. This is a once in a lifetime event, and you both need to be able to focus on each other, your little boy,"_** she winked at Jax, **_"and your guests."_**

Will smiled, looked over at Sonny and mouthed, **_"I love you."_** Will got the same response back. He handed the notebook over to his grandma and she checked _"seating"_ off of their long to-do list.

**_"Venue is easy boys, you will have it here."_** And so she checked _"venue"_ off, too. **_ "Now for food, do you want fish, chicken, or beef?"_**

The boys looked to each other and simultaneously answered, **_"Chicken."_**

She nodded and said, **_"Good. Do you trust me to put a meal together around that? We can do a nice simple chicken breast and then dress it up with fresh vegetables, potato gratin and a mixed green salad. We'll have wine and champagne, of course. And I might even let you drink some my under-age grandson."_** Grandma Caroline looked teasingly at Will and winked. Sonny continued to watch Will as he visibly lightened, the burden of this wedding being lifted from his shoulders. Grandma Caroline had a way of making the hardest things so easy.

**_"Okay you two, that's seating, venue and the meal. Now, my favorite: let's talk cake."_**

**_"Cake!"_** Jax suddenly looked up from his coloring.

**_"Yes, Jax, cake! You like cake?"_** Nodding energetically, Jax smiled at his great-grandmother and went back to his picture.

Grandma watched him for a moment, a look of amusement and whimsy on her face. **_"You know what a great kid you have, right? Well, cherish every moment because they do grow up fast."_**

She turned her attention back to the couple and continued to share her ideas. **_ "Am I safe to assume that you want two grooms as your cake topper? And do you want their suits to be different or the same?"_**

Will looked over to Sonny, and they shrugged together. **_"Truthfully, Ms. Brady, we hadn't really thought about that."_** Sonny answered tentatively, giving her an apologetic smile.

**_"That's okay, we don't have to decide that today,"_** she said and waved him off,**_ "we have time. And please call me Grandma Caroline, Sonny. We're family, and I'm lucky enough to be gaining another wonderful grandson through this marriage."_** Sonny nodded and pulled Will a little closer to him.

**_"For the cake, do you have a flavor in mind? Chocolate, vanilla, lemon? And since you are using salmon for the color of the napkins, I'll make sure that's in the color scheme for the cake, but did you have other colors in mind, too?"_ ** Again, the boys shared a quizzical glance and shook their heads at Grandma Caroline. **_"Okay, then you've got some homework to do: come up with your cake flavor, decoration colors and a topper."_**

**_"I'm sorry, Grandma, we're not as ready as I thought we were. I've tried to do as much as I can..."_** Will's voice trailed off as he looked away in embarrassment.

**_"Nonsense, Will! This is your day! Let me worry about the details, okay? I've got this...let it be my wedding gift to the two of you."_**

The pub started to get busy again, so Grandma Caroline had to get back to the bar, but not before giving all three boys a kiss on the cheek. Will and Sonny looked at each other flabbergasted as she seamlessly transitioned from wedding planner to pub owner in mere seconds. They were both so glad they had come to Grandma Caroline. In one day, she had their venue, seating, food, cake (for the most part) and priest all taken care of. All under their budget. They may be able to take that honeymoon after all.

Will and Sonny went home floating on a cloud, knowing that this was going to be the happiest day of their lives. They still had to set a date, but besides that, the only things left were flowers, tuxes, and the final decision they have to make about their wedding cake. They needed to write vows, too. But those wouldn't be shared with anyone - not even each other - until their special day.

**_"She's such a cool lady."_** Sonny said as he set the diaper bag down once they were back at their apartment.

**_"She sure is."_** Will answered. **_ "Honestly, I don't think we could have chosen anyone better for the job. Her ideas are perfect, they fit us so well. I'm so grateful that she's doing this for us. Can you just imagine if mom were helping us?"_** Will said and involuntarily shuddered at the thought.

**_"Or worse, MY mom trying to help us. Now that would be a train wreck waiting to happen."_ **Sonny replied, and they both chuckled. Sonny walked to the counter and began making coffee as Will pulled down a pot to start supper.

They put Jax to bed and sat down on the couch after a tiring day. Will snuggled close into Sonny's side and intertwining legs, they both finally began to relax.

**_"Son, we need to set a date.__"_** Will was decisive as he lifted the notebook from the side table. He paged through their calendar. **_"How about the 25th of July? It's a Saturday, doesn't interfere with Eric's mass schedule, and it's in far enough advance that we can get invitations out and plan to close the pub and coffee shop for the day."_**

Sonny looked at the calendar. His face slowly broke into a huge grin. July 25th was only 3 months away. **_ "So you mean 3 months from today I get to marry the man of my dreams and become the happiest man on the planet?"_** Sonny questioned playfully.

**_"I would hope you already are the happiest man on the planet."_** Will said feigning hurt and pretended to pout. Sonny grabbed Will and pulled him on top of him.

**_"I am, Will. But finally becoming your husband and solidifying our little family? It will be incredible. So, yes, yes, a million times yes. I would marry you tomorrow_****_ at the courthouse. Anytime, anywhere. So, I guess to answer your question, July 25th is just perfect!"_** The next thing Will felt was the crushing press of Sonny's lips. They continued to kiss, tongues dancing and hands roaming, until they were both breathless. Without a word, they walked hand in hand into their bedroom.

That night, the two made slow passionate love. The stresses of wedding planning gone, the hard times from the past year over, and only the endless possibilities of the future on their minds. They took their time exploring each other, touching tenderly and loving gently. Nothing would ever surpass what they shared together as soul mates.

The next morning, the screams from an angry, hungry Jax woke them from sound sleep. Sonny jumped up to grab the toddler, while Will sleepily dragged himself into the kitchen to start coffee and breakfast. Neither were by nature a morning person, so it was always a bit rough until they had some caffeine in them. Will was just about to pour his first cup when Sonny came running out of the back room chasing after an alert, giggling toddler. Trying hard to escape his dad's grasp, Jax continued to dance around the kitchen table, frustrating Sonny and making Will chuckle. It might just be one of those days.

Finally catching him, Will strapped Jax into the high chair and put a spoonful of scrambled eggs on his plate. The little boy squirmed and pushed his plate forward. **_ "Dada Dwill, no want baby chair. I big boy!"_** Jax declared as he tried to slide out of the high chair.

**_"Jaxie, you won't be able to reach the table if you just sit in a regular chair. Me and daddy will pick you up a booster today, and then you can sit in a big boy chair for supper, how does that sound?"_** Will said trying to placate Jax as he continued to try to wiggle himself free.

As if knowing that neither Will nor Sonny were equipped to handle a temper tantrum, little man simply said,**_"Tay"_** and began to shove food into his mouth. Will sighed and grabbed his mug to refill it with coffee. He decided this needed to be a multi-cup day. They had another meeting with Grandma Caroline that day, and he knew that she would want answers.

Back at the pub, they went through each item, narrowing down choices and settling on specifics. Chad said he would DJ, so the music was taken care of for the reception. When they got to the wedding details, Sonny deferred to Will, who had all of their ideas written down. They would walk down the aisle together, arm in arm, followed by Jax with Pachelbel Cannon in D playing on the piano. Will would wear a white tux with a black tie. Sonny would have a black tux with a white tie. They wanted it to signify they're the opposite half of the whole - that they complete each other. Jax would look dashing in all white, even though they knew it would be a challenge keeping it that way. _"Stand By Me"_ would be the song for their first dance together as husbands.

Will paused and paged through their notebook; venue, seating, food, music, tuxes, and date all finalized in a 3 day power planning session with Grandma Caroline. It got a little harder when she started talking numbers and colors and where everything should be placed and how everything should look. By the time their meeting was over, Will and Sonny were exhausted and felt like there was no longer anything Grandma Caroline didn't know about them.

Time tends to go by so fast when you're planning a wedding in 3 months. Before they knew it, it was June 25th. During the last month, Grandma Caroline and the couple hashed out the final details. She wanted to make sure they liked the colors, the arrangements, the order of things, and the dishes she chose for the reception. It was beyond their wildest dreams, and now, all they had to do was sit back and _"enjoy the last week of freedom"_ as Chad put it. But neither boy saw it as that; they couldn't wait to become husbands.

The night before the wedding there was a knock at the door. Will opened it to a smiling Abigail and a very cheesy Chad. "Day before the wedding guys, we have a tradition to keep up!" They both said in unison as Abigail grabbed Will and Chad grabbed Sonny. They were taken to the Pub where there was a HUGE party, full of their friends and family. The evening wound down, and Will and Sonny started to get tired. Jax was already sleeping, so Sonny headed to the playpen to get him while Will said their goodbyes. But they didn't get too far.

**_"Where do you think you're going?"_** Abigail demanded, hands on her hips. **_ "This is the night before your wedding, so Will, you're at my house tonight, and Sonny, you're staying with Chad!"_**

**_"Abs, that's so outdated,"_** they both protested, but neither Chad nor Abigail would relent. She even had a plan for Jax, who would stay with his Grandpa Justin for the night. Knowing they wouldn't win this one, Will and Sonny acquiesced, leaving the party with their respective chaperones.

Kissing one last time before going their separate ways, Will whispered lovingly to Sonny, **_"Tomorrow is going to be the best day of our lives."_**

**_"I know. I can't wait,"_** Sonny whispered back sincerely. **_"You know what else I can't wait for?"_**

**_"What?"_** Will asked suspiciously.

**_"Our honeymoon. So, better get some sleep tonight, my love, because I don't plan on either of us doing any that of the tomorrow night."_**

Will laughed and blushed and started to get slightly aroused at Sonny's promise. **_"I love you so much."_**

**_"I love you, too, Will. Goodnight husband-to-be."_**

**_"Goodnight."_**


	25. Chapter 25

**W****ill****'****s**** POV**

**_"Mom, is my bow tie crooked? It looks a little lopsided. And what about my hair? Is anything sticking up in back? And do I need to run the lint roller over my pants again?"_** I am rambling out of sheer nervousness, and my mother is getting a kick out of it. She stands behind me, smoothing my jacket down, while trying to suppress a smile. I have so many emotions boiling up inside of me I feel as if I'm going to explode. Who knew you could be happy and scared at the same time as you are trying not to dry heave your breakfast?

**_"Mom, are you laughing at me?" _**I say taking a few shaky breaths.

**_"Who me?"_** She says innocently, avoiding my eyes.**_ "No sweetie. I am just so happy for you and Sonny. You look wonderful, Will. Positively dashing."_**

**_"Thanks, Mom. I just want to be perfect for Sonny."_** I glance one more time in the mirror.

**_"Oh my dear Will, you are. You are perfect for each other.__"_** With that, she kisses me on the cheek and leaves me alone in the _"bride's suite"_ to finish getting ready.

I want to sit down for a moment, but I can't for fear of wrinkling my tuxedo pants. So, instead, I lean up against the wall and close my eyes, breathing deeply, remembering the journey of how we got to this day. Remembering how I felt the first time I saw him in Horton Town Square. Even though he didn't notice me...I noticed him.

I remember so clearly the first time he talked to me at the coffee shop, when he offered to help me with my _"Kite Runner"_ report. One look at Sonny's gorgeous brown eyes, his dazzling, sexy smile, smell of coffee on his clothes, and I was hooked. I couldn't stop thinking about him that entire night. But then one of the next times I saw him, he was with Janice, and I thought for sure they were married and Jax was their son. I quickly lost hope for us. Then after I got my cup of coffee, he motioned me over to their table and introduced me to Jax and Janice. That's when I felt it again, that electricity between us, and I knew I had been wrong with my recent assumptions. After that, the homework help turned into a date and it didn't take long for us to get really close, really fast. Sooner than I ever thought possible, I had fallen in love with Sonny Kiriakis. And little Jax, too. I never knew how much I'd love being a Dad until I met the two of them.

Who would have ever thought that I would end up being someone's rock? The stability in the relationship? None of my friends or family, that's for sure, and certainly not me. My life had been juggled around so many times that I figured that's the way it always would be. But when Sonny and Jax came into my world and Patrick started to pull us apart? Well, out came the claws. I became mother lion to my baby cubs. No one was going to hurt my Sonny or my Jax. I made damn sure of that, and I will continue to do that for the rest of my life. Wow, that sounds long, so very long. But I am more than ready for it.

When Sonny decided he was going to return to London to turn himself in for stealing? Well, I was determined, no matter the outcome, to keep our family together. I love the man and his son, and it was in that moment, when Sonny told me his decision to go back there to face his crime, that I knew that I could never, ever possibly love anyone else again. That I couldn't - didn't want to - live without him. That was the night when I decided to propose; even if the wedding had to wait for a prison sentence, I would wait. I wanted him to know that I was there for him and always would be. I can't help but smile at the memory of our engagement party and the moment he said, "yes".

**_"I love you Sonny Kiriakis."_** I whisper out loud through my memories; small happy tears filling my eyes.

Finally, we're here on our wedding day. With Grandma Caroline's help, we have a church full of our friends and family, we have a beautifully decorated pub for our reception and a lifetime of endless possibilities for our future together. And the one person who has always been there for me, guiding me through a difficult childhood and everything after, has made this possible. She was there every Halloween to help me with my costumes, she gave me my first job at the Pub, she babysat me when mom was out with one of the many guys she's been with; The honest truth is that I wouldn't be me without her.

Just as I am thinking about her, she steps into the suite and gives me a hug and kiss.**_ "Will, you are so handsome, and I am so proud to be your grandmother,"_** she says with a smile and a little dampness in her eyes. We hold each other for a while until she pulls away. **_"Oh, I came to tell you that it's time! I got a little distracted…"_** she remarks with a twinkle in her eyes. She leans back and brushes some imaginary lint from my shoulders and pats my arms twice.

**_"Okay, Grandma. I'm going to get Sonny, then. This is going to be so amazing and I can't thank you enough for all you've done to make this day so special for us. I'm happy beyond my wildest dreams, and I can't wait for us to be married.__"_** Grandma gives my hand one last squeeze, and she motions down the hall as she heads back downstairs. I take a deep, calming breath and head down to Sonny's room.

**S****onny****'****s**** POV**

I always envisioned walking down the aisle with Will – hand in hand or arm in arm – but certainly not escorted by our parents. Don't worry, I'm not forgetting all the family support we've received from the Kiriakis' over the last year. (Well, I'd maybe like to forget my mother's "help" aka cruel interference.) The truth is, Will, Jax and I couldn't have survived without my family; especially my Dad. So I suppose if Will had felt strongly enough about having family walk us each down the aisle, well, then, I would have asked my father. But we're walking together, with Jax right ahead of us, a united front, a loving, strong and unbreakable family. My family. The family that I have always wanted and dreamed of, but never saw myself having. The family that I love and support and in turn, they support me equally. Will is my family now, and I can't see myself with anyone else, ever, for the rest of my life; it always has and always will be William Horton. Jax is my heart and soul. No one could ask for a better son. He brings sunshine into my day, and he fulfills me with a joy I never knew I was missing and now can't bear to live without.

It doesn't seem that long ago when I came out to my parents back in high school in Paris. Though it happened many years ago, the feeling of abandonment that broke my heart and soul so severely is painfully fresh today. I remember leaving that night - I'm not sure who was more shocked that I was actually doing it, me or them! They didn't even see me out. I felt so alone after they rejected the _"real"_ me. It was far worse than what I felt living on the street. At least then I had Janice and my pride. Losing my parents back then had been a turning point in my life, because if I hadn't have left that day, I wouldn't have met Janice, and then I wouldn't have Jax.

How amazing is it that despite our years of separation and distance, Janice appeared back in my life when I needed her most? I am just sorry that our reunion came far into the progression of her illness. We didn't have nearly as much time together as I would have liked. But when do you, really? We always want more time, more money, more stuff…and then when we get it, we just want even more. We can be so greedy sometimes. But not Janice. She made me leave her to give up a life destined for uncertainty and crime. She came here with her son, leaving one of the only homes she's ever known, to make sure Jax had a family once she was gone. Janice was terribly selfless and kind. I hate to think of my life if I hadn't run into her during my first week of being homeless and hungry. She was my savior. Just like Will has been. Just like Jax will always be. I firmly believe I wouldn't be alive today without the three of them. Janice protected me until my real protector appeared in my life. She was like a Guardian Angel if you will. Always protecting me from what she thought was the wrong thing, and the wrong men. How ironic that Will had to end up protecting me from the same men. I miss Janice, today more than any other day; I wish she was here to walk me down the aisle.

Today feels only slightly bittersweet. But the overwhelming joy and blessings I feel knowing that I am about to marry the man of my dreams and become a "_real"_ family with our son Jax, well, that helps dissipate most of the sadness I still have from missing Janice. As for my mom, she made her choice when she intervened in my relationship and tried to make me give up Jax and break up with Will. She was not invited to the wedding, and for that, she only has herself to blame. I am at peace with these losses, though, and I recognize that what we had to go through as a result of their presence in our lives only made us stronger. With Will and Jax by my side, I feel anything is possible. I've lived on the edge enough to know that it won't always be smooth sailing, but if we made it through illness and death and raising a toddler and blackmail and harassment and abuse and betrayal, then I am quite sure we can make it through anything.

_"__That__'__s pretty good,__"_ I say to my reflection in the mirror, _"__maybe I need to add that to my vows__…"_

**_"Maybe you need to do what?"_** asks Will as he pops his head into the room I'm using to change.

**_"Nothing,_**" I brush him off.** _"Hey, you are NOT supposed to see me before we meet to walk down the aisle together!"_**

**_"Ummm, true, so, why do you think I'm here?"_** Will tilts his head and gives me a dazzling, breathtaking smile. I can only shake my head. **_"Because it's time, my dear Sonny! We're ready to get this wedding started."_**

**_"Well, then by all means, look as much as you want,"_** I wink and give him a fashionable turn, showing off how the tux fits so perfectly in all the right places.

Will is silent for a minute.**_ "Honey, are you okay?"_** I ask tentatively.

**_"Yes, I am more than okay. You just look, I mean, holy crap, Son, you are so beautiful. You look amazing in your tux. I can't believe I get to marry you; you take my breath away."_**Will says in soft whispers as he stands glued to his spot. Mesmerized by the man standing in front of him.

I can't help but step to the door and pull Will inside the room with me. And then it's my turn to be speechless. I hold him at arm's length and take in the sight that is my incredibly sexy and generous and perfect Will. **_"Wow,"_** is all I manage before pulling him into my arms.**_ "Wow."_**Will slides his hands from my waist up to my chest where he rests them, gazing into each others eyes; we know how lucky we are to be here today. To have so many wonderful people here with us today.

We stand there, holding one another, feeling the rhythm of our hearts beating together, as if they have became one, cherishing this time we have alone before the festivities of the day begin. I pull back to look deeply into his bright blue eyes, and we hold our gaze steady until I can't resist any longer moving my eyes to his full, inviting mouth. Leaning in, I brush his lips ever so softly with mine, and the sheer tenderness of it, the simplicity of that touch makes us both hum with pleasure.

**_"Dadas!"_** We hear from the hallway and our intimate moment is ended abruptly by a certain very excited and adorable 3 ½ year old little boy.

**_"Jax!"_** Will and I say in unison.**_ "You look so handsome!"_ **I can't help but grin at my toddler all in white.

**_"You do, Jax,__"_** adds Will. **_"I think you are the most handsome of all of us!"_**Will says as he pulls slightly at Jax's coat to straighten it up.

**_"I am!"_** Jax proclaims proudly.**_ "Gwampa Justin toad me I was the handsomest." _**We laugh to ourselves. This amazing little boy is ours, and he is with us today, on the happiest day of our lives. Could life get any better?

Just then my Dad appears in the doorway of the room, not too far behind Jax. **_"He's right. I did tell him that. But, gosh, you two are quite the sight as well! It might actually be a three-way tie!"_** Dad comes over to give me a hug, followed by Will. He fixes my tie and pats my chest one more time for good luck.

**_"Thanks, Dad."_**

**_"Yes, thanks for all you've done to make this day happen, Justin. You've been such a huge support. We don't know what we would do without you, right Son?"_** Will looks expectantly at me but I'm just too overcome with feelings to do anything but nod in agreement.

**_"Well, it has been my pleasure. You two are meant to be, and I am so proud to be a part of your life together." He sa_**ys and then pulls a small box from his inside coat pocket.

**_"It's traditional to give the bride something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. Well, since there is no bride involved in this wedding, I needed to make some adjustments to figure out just the right gifts for you two."_** Dad hands the box to me. He pulls out another box, about the same size, and hands it to Will. Inside each rests a sterling silver watch with a face of light blue and tiny diamonds at each number. They are absolutely gorgeous. We stare at the beauty of the watch and then at each other, and then at Dad. I'm speechless. He's been so wonderful and generous. **_"Well, are you going to put them on?"_ **he teases as we slowly, with shaky hands, slide it on our wrists.

**_"That is your new and blue. I thought your old and borrowed could be these, if you'll have them."_** And he presents each of us - even Jax - with a beautiful gold "K" tie tack. **_"They belong to me and Uncle Vic. And we do expect them back when you're done with them."_** He says with a wink.

Dad glances at the time as he helps Jax put on his tie tack. Jax beams at his Grandpa; he's so proud to be involved in the ritual.**_ "Dadas! I have a K, too!" _**

We all look at each other with pride; we are strong, brave and good-hearted men. We are a family. And in an hour or so, we'll be the Horton-Kiriakis family.

**_"You know, we should get going, it's a few minutes after."_**

Will and I both grab my Dad and bring him in for a hug. **_"Thank you dad."_** I try to say through my tears.

**_"Thanks, Mr. K."_** Will says as he pulls out of the hug, wiping his tear-filled eyes.

**_"Okay, Jax,"_** I grab his chubby hand in mine and Will's warm one in my other, **_"show us the way! It's time to get married!"_**

********

Will and Sonny were the picture of perfection as they walked down the aisle together. Though they moved slowly, acknowledging those in attendance, they were so focused on each other, that their hands never stopped touching and the smiles never left their faces. Jax, who was supposed to walk as slowly as he could in front of the couple, had made it to the alter and was doubling back to retrieve his dads.****

**_"Dadas! Hu-wee up!" _**If most of the eyes in the church weren't already on the adorable toddler practically dancing down the aisle, well they were now! Jax could not contain himself as he reached Sonny and Will, still only halfway to their destination. **_"Tum on,"_** he practically squealed.

The couple, quite accustomed to their son's energy and impatience, indulged him. **_"Okay,"_ **Sonny replied and let go of Will's hand just long enough to put Jax between them to connect them once again. Picture of perfection? So much more. This little family who weathered many storms together, who experienced devastating loss and betrayal, who despite all odds, came out stronger than ever, well, they were simply a representation to all those in attendance of life at its very best.

Will turned to look at Sonny and smiled again for what felt like the millionth time that day. They both leaned down to kiss Jax and sent him off to Grandma Caroline and faced Eric for the beginning of the ceremony.

**_Eric began:_**

**_"Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy nor is it envious, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth. It always protects, always trusts, always honors, and always preserves."_**

Eric paused to take in the couple before him and all of their loving supporters filling the pews behind them.

**_"Love does not dishonor. Love protects, love trusts. Looking at those verses I am reminded of a time in this relationship when that kind of pure love was needed. These two young men were going through a rough time and when they didn't think things could get worse, they did. But these two... they stood by each other and their love never waivered. They are each other's trusted protector and anyone can see clearly just by looking at them how perfect they are together. If anyone is the epitome of love, it's these two." _**Eric finished and started the service.

After a poem, a song and some wonderful words of wisdom, Eric pulled Sonny and Will back to the forefront for the next big step.

**_"Will and Sonny have both decided to write their own vows."_** He looked at Will and gave him a nod.

Will turned to face Sonny and grabbed his other hand. He took a slow deep breath.**_ "Sonny, who knew that the first day I laid eyes on you would change my life forever? Who knew we would be standing here in front of our family and friends pledging our love for each other? Up until now, I had only dreamt it."_**

**_Will continues, "In the early part of our relationship, I learned what I could about you through how you interacted with Jax, and when I found out you were in trouble with Patrick,"_** they both cringed at the name, **_"I knew then and there that I needed you more than I needed air. I needed to be your protector, I needed to be your lover, I needed to be your husband. I just need you Sonny. You're my other half, my soul-mate. I have never loved anyone as much as I love you. Or so I thought. Then you gave me our son. A son whom I can't imagine my life without. Not only did you complete my soul Sonny, you completed my life.__"_** Will paused, trying to hold back the tears but unsuccessfully doing so.

**_"I look forward to our new beginning. I can't wait to see how much more we grow in our relationship, and falling more in love with you every day. It's a new adventure Sonny, and I know how you like adventures. So Sonny, will you take this adventure with me? For the rest of our lives?"_**

Sonny wasn't sure if he could recite his vows now, he was so choked up by Will's. He nodded, _"yes"_ and Will smiled.

**_"Yes, Will, yes until the day that I die, I will be with you. I promise to be your friend first and lover second. I promise to be faithful to you and I can't wait to see your smiling face every morning and see your hazy eyes every night. I don't want to be anywhere except by your side. You have been my constant companion through good times and bad times, and I don't know how to thank you."_** Sonny paused trying to hold back his tears, but seeing Will's tears made it harder.

**_"Sonny, I should be thanking__ you."_** Will reached up and touched the side of Sony's face, Sonny snuggled his cheek into Will's palm.

Sonny shook his head, **_"No Will. You have given me so much. You've given me yourself and there's nothing more I could ever want or need. So Will, yes, I will take this journey with you. I will be with you and love you until the day that I die."_**

The church filled of their emotional families was lost on the boys because they were in their own little world. Nothing on the outside mattered to them. They turned their heads, never breaking their hands.

Eric continued:**_ "A ring is symbol of love. It's a circle, a circle has no beginning and has no end. Like your love, it has always been."_**

Grandma Caroline sent Jax up to Will and Sonny to hand them the box of rings.

**_"Will, please take the ring and place it on Sonny's finger."_**

**_"Will, do you take Sonny to be your lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, til death do us part?"_** Eric asked.

A squeaky **_"I do."_** came from Will as he pushed the ring the rest of the way on Sonny's finger.

Eric turned to Sonny**_, "Sonny do you take Will to be your lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, til death do us part?"_**

Sonny, with shaky hands replied,**_ "I do."_** And slid the ring on Will's finger. Both boys were getting antsy, they wanted so badly to have some sort of physical contact.

Will motioned for Jax to come up front with them. Leaning over, he whispered conspiratorial to Eric. He smiled broadly and addressed the toddler.

**_"Jackson "Jax" Eowin McLean Kiriakis, do you take Sonny and Will to be your dads__ forever?_"** Jax looked at them both expectantly, happily surprise. He nodded his head excitedly.

**_"Say, I Do,"_** Will encouraged.

**_"I do!"_** Jax practically squealed.

**_"Sonny and Will, do you take Jackson "Jax" McLean Kiriakis to be your son for the rest of your lives?" _**

Jax started jumping up and down chanting, **_"they do, they do!"_**

**_"We do,"_** the couple repeated after their son.

Eric motioned for Will to step forward, only the two of them in on this little secret. Anticipating something as spectacular as his new husband, Sonny lifted Jax into his arms and they both watched in awe.

"So often I feel like I can't put into words how deeply and totally in love with you two I am. I feel what I say doesn't do how I feel justice. You both move me in ways I never thought possible. So, well, I wrote a poem months ago that I'd like to share with all of you...and I think it finally captures how I truly feel." Said Will

_**Beyond the Sea**_

_Will Horton (aka Christina Phillips)_

_I look at the father as he looks at me_

_He smiles through the pain so bravely._

_I look at the son as he looks at me_

_his eyes shine like coal, so beautifully._

_A year ago, how could I not see_

_how amazing love like this could be?_

_A year ago, how could I not see that he_

_would be a wonderful father, so wild and free._

_Now the father is the holder of that grand key,_

_the one thing that makes me so very happy._

_And the son, is what makes me think that maybe, _

_we found the truest love, from beyond the sea_

After Will's last word, Sonny and Jax rushed to him and embraced as one complete family. Will's arm was around Sonny's shoulder and his other was around his son; Sonny's arm made its way around Will's waist and Jax was cuddled happily between the two. For anyone who had ever doubted their ability to make this work, to persevere, to be strong in the face of adversity, to remain faithful and loyal, to make decisions with integrity, to parent with openness and unconditional love, well, these three were living proof that it's not about "who" makes up your family, it's about "how" you live and love as one.

As the couple pulled back from their embrace, Eric looked out into the eyes of all the guests in the church.None of them were dry. Including his own.

Holding his arms out in welcome, he concluded the service. **_"It is my distinct honor to say that by the power invested in me and the state of Illinois, I now pronounce you Jackson "Sonny" and William "Will"...and Jackson "Jax" Horton-Kiriakis"_**...he added with a smile and a wink,**_ "husbands and son. You may seal your vows with a kiss!"_**

The church erupted in applause as the two kissed each other. When they separated, Will reached down to pick up Jax so his dads could also seal their "deal" with a kiss.

**_******_**  
Sonny stood tall at the start of their meal once everyone was seated and had their celebratory glass of champagne in hand. He raised his glass and spoke with quiet strength.**_ "I always thought I'd have to forget all the mistakes I made in the past in order to move on. I pretended that they didn't happen and I tried to leave the past in the past. But what I know now with absolute certainty is that my past is an integral part of me...without it, I wouldn't have become the man that I am today. Without it I wouldn't have met Janice and became the father of this amazing little boy, without it I wouldn't have let myself be vulnerable enough to show this wonderful man, sitting beside of me my true self. So, as hard and painful as it must be, the past will always remain. But the future, it's filled with endless possibilities and a lifetime of memories. And lots and lots of love." _**


End file.
